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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083667">Phantom Investigation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgypooh123/pseuds/morgypooh123'>morgypooh123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom, Teen Titans - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:13:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgypooh123/pseuds/morgypooh123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Phantom's activity in Amity Park has caught the eye of the Justice League, they decide to investigate the teen hero further. Robin is sent undercover by Batman for possible recruitment to the Titans Network, or to decide that the ghost is a more foe than friend to the Titans and the League. Set after the events of Reign Storm for DP and Trouble in Tokyo for TT.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>405</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One: Dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I have had this idea for a while that Danny Phantom would for sure be an honorary titan, so I figured I would explore that headcanon a bit. I hope you all enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin rarely agrees to secret missions given to him by Batman. Ever since their falling out several years ago, he made a point to demonstrate that he no longer worked for his former mentor, though most of their tensions have gone away. As much as they can for the brooding heroes anyway. </p>
<p>However, this mission was very different, and it had been some time since Dick Grayson visited his home, so he decided to hear out his former mentor. Standing in the Batcave for the first time in years, Bruce filled him in.</p>
<p>Batman had scouted a new superpowered teenager, which was an asset that Robin could not resist going to find. There was a superhero based in the midwest, in a city called Amity Park. He rarely is known to leave the area, which is why he had flown under the radar of the Justice League. That is, until recently.</p>
<p>“For the past year, the League has been getting conflicting reports of a teenager with ghost-like abilities. While known by the locals as Inviso-Bill, it has more recently come to our attention that he goes by the alias Danny Phantom,” Batman said. As he spoke, he pulled up different news coverage of the teenager. </p>
<p>“Has he caused any trouble?” Robin asked.</p>
<p>“Yes and no. At first, many people were troubled by his sudden appearance, believing him to be some kind of ghost haunting the city. However, as time passed, more information came out showing the boy fighting other ghosts and saving civilians.”</p>
<p>“Okay, so he’s a friendly neighborhood ghost kid. Why are you involving me?”</p>
<p>“Last week, Amity Park fell off of the Justice League’s radar completely. The whole town went dark. Literally. The only thing we could see was a large green dome and no communications could get through for several days. Then, it was suddenly gone, and Danny Phantom was deemed a hero.”</p>
<p>Robin considered this for a moment. “Am I going in for a threat level assessment or for recruitment?”</p>
<p>“Both. We don’t like how little we know about this Phantom. Is he a ghost or does he just have ghost powers? Where do his allegiances lie?”</p>
<p>Robin nodded grimly.  “What’s my cover story?”</p>
<p>“You are going as Dick Grayson.”</p>
<p>“What? Why?”</p>
<p>“Fortunately for you, I have a cousin on my mother’s side who would love to have my adopted son come visit for a couple of weeks. Dick will be transferring to a boarding school in the area, but you first need to wrap up the semester at the local public school, Casper High.”</p>
<p>“And I am transferring because?”</p>
<p>“You have a lousy temper.”</p>
<p>“Bit on the nose there, but believable I suppose.”</p>
<p>“You better go pack. I already called for the Wayne jet to take us there. It will be nice to see Maddie after all this time.”</p>
<p>xxx</p>
<p>Dick Grayson has spent most of his life on two very different sides of the country. Growing up in gloomy Gotham, where the sun rarely shines, was one extreme while the sunny Jump City was his current home. Flying over the midwest felt very plain in comparison to both, which was almost relaxing. </p>
<p>It was very strange having his mask off for a long period of time. For the past several years, he only ever really took the mask off to sleep. Jump City was so used to heroes walking around, there really was no need for secret identities. That, and most of his team did not blend very well, so there was no point in making himself blend in either. </p>
<p>It was also strange being on the Wayne Enterprises private jet for the first time in years. Normally, transportation was either taken care of by the T-Ship or with assistance from the League for his missions. But this undercover mission required a different level of decorum with Bruce Wayne involved. </p>
<p>“Who are these people that you are making me stay with, again?” Dick asked, starting to play the part of the grumpy, recently expelled teenager.</p>
<p>“My cousin Maddie and her family. Her husband’s name is Jack Fenton. They met when they were in college studying engineering, though I am not sure what their focuses are. They have two children. Jasmine is about your age, and Danny is a few years younger. You will be attending Casper High with both of them until the end of the semester when you can transfer to your new school,” Bruce explained casually. </p>
<p>Dick narrowed his eyes. There was something Bruce wasn’t telling him about this family because there is no way he does not know what they do for a living. But he had a part to play, and Bruce Wayne does not care. </p>
<p>“You should be thankful they are letting you stay with them. They are good people who have agreed to let you live in their home while you are relocating, despite the fact that you have never met them.”</p>
<p>“You could have put me up in a hotel.”</p>
<p>“But where would the lesson be? And they are family. It will be nice.”</p>
<p>Dick let the conversation end there. Surely, that would be enough to appease the ever listening ears of Wayne Enterprises staff members aboard the jet. </p>
<p>As they landed at the airport, Dick took in Amity Park. It was a larger city with a downtown area and suburbs surrounding it. There was a beautiful park, which made him think of the park in Jump City and of his friends. </p>
<p>He felt a pang of guilt. All he told his team was that he was on a mission for Batman and not to contact him until he reached out first. They were likely worried, but he would make sure to give them a call once he was settled. </p>
<p>It was hard to leave the team so soon after getting back from Tokyo, especially Starfire. This would definitely be putting a strain on their newly formed relationship, but he had no doubt that his Tamaranean princess understood. And once he called and explained what was going on, things would be okay. Hopefully. </p>
<p>Dick and Bruce got off of the plane and right into a private car that was waiting for them, and they were off. He watched the streets go by, attempting to orient himself in the new city and wishing he had his motorcycle to explore the streets and get to know his way around. That was going to be a big weakness for this mission; he had never been here before and was unfamiliar with the city. </p>
<p>They eventually stopped in front of what seemed to be a normal-looking building, until Dick looked up and saw the large sign that read “Fentonworks” and the even larger metal contraption on top. </p>
<p>He looked at Bruce with wide eyes. “What is this place?”</p>
<p>“Welcome to your home for the next few weeks. Let’s go meet the Fentons.”</p>
<p>xxx</p>
<p>Whatever Dick was expecting from this family, it definitely was not what he walked into.  A perky looking woman in a blue jumpsuit opened the door and immediately welcomed them in. </p>
<p>“Bruce! So good to see you! It’s been too long,” she exclaimed, embracing Bruce in the doorway. “And you must be Dick, it is so good to meet you!”</p>
<p>“You as well, ma’am,” he responded as he took in the home. It looked normal enough on the inside despite the flashy exterior. </p>
<p>“Oh, you can call me Maddie. Come on to the kitchen, I have some snacks for us. The rest of my family should be around here somewhere. Jack! Kids!” she called as she ushered Dick and Bruce into the kitchen.</p>
<p>Jack stumbled up from the basement first. He was a tall, burly man wearing an orange jumpsuit. </p>
<p>“Bruce Wayne, it is so nice to meet you!” he exclaimed, quickly moving to shake Bruce’s hand. “You know, we have some technology down in the lab that you may be interested in investing in-”</p>
<p>“Jack, not now,” Maddie quickly cut him off. “Sorry about that.”</p>
<p>Bruce smiled, “Oh don’t be sorry. You are family, after all. We can schedule something with some other officials from the company when I come back to move Dick into his new school. Thank you so much again for taking him in during this transition.”</p>
<p>“Of course! Our Danny has definitely had his fair share of difficulty in school. I’m sorry you had to leave your last one, but now you get the authentic public school experience and to meet your cousins. They should be down here soon.” Maddie stuck her head out of the kitchen and yelled, “Danny! Jazz! Bruce and Dick are here!”</p>
<p>A teenage girl about Dick’s age soon stuck her head into the kitchen. “Hi! I’m Jazz! We are in the same class at school, so you are gonna be stuck with me here and there.” She laughed uncomfortably and Dick cracked a smile. </p>
<p>“Jazz, where is your brother?” Maddie asked.</p>
<p>Jazz noticeably cringed, which caused Dick to narrow his eyes and pay more attention to her subtle cues. She was fidgeting with her hands and shifting her weight on her feet. </p>
<p>“He’s, ah, on his way. He was, um, doing homework! With… Sam and Tucker, yeah,” Jazz stammered. </p>
<p>Despite the obvious lie that Dick knew both he and Bruce noticed, Maddie seemed to accept that answer. Dick was going to just attribute it to Danny obviously doing something that he shouldn’t be and dismiss it, but then there was a loud crash in the living room. </p>
<p>Everyone jumped up and ran to the next room. Dick quickly scanned the environment, but only found a dark-haired teenage boy laying on top of a clearly broken coffee table. </p>
<p>The boy looked up, made eye contact with Dick, and smiled, “Hi, I’m Danny. You must be Dick.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all! Now for an introduction from Danny's side of the story, as I will be alternating between the two POVs. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think in the comments!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny was having a bad week. He was still in recovery from his battle with Pariah Dark, yet the ghosts he just saved seemed to still want to get on his nerves and threaten his town. The previous night he was up until 5 am trying to get the Box Ghost back into the ghost zone, and only got about thirty minutes of sleep before Jazz woke him up to get ready for school. </p>
<p>He met up with his friends, Sam and Tucker, just before homeroom. </p>
<p>“Dude, you look rough,” Tucker said. “Late night?”</p>
<p>Danny simply nodded. </p>
<p>“You should have called us,” Sam said with a disappointed look.</p>
<p>“It was just the Box Ghost, Sam. Nothing I can’t handle, really. Plus, it would be worse for all of us if we were all exhausted and a ghost attacked today,” Danny explained. </p>
<p>“We just hate seeing you so run down, man. Saving the town doesn’t have to be just your responsibility,” Tucker said. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I know. And you guys know I appreciate your help. I was just thinking it wouldn’t take me long and then it did, but the next ghost attack is yours too; I promise.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Tucker smiled. “So are we hitting the Nasty Burger after school today?”</p>
<p>Danny groaned. “No, I have some cousin that I’ve never met coming to visit and he and his dad are getting here right after school is done.”</p>
<p>“Really? When did you find out about this?” Sam asked. </p>
<p>“My mom got the call from her cousin this weekend that her cousin’s son was kicked out of his fancy boarding school, so he is transferring to one out here next semester. But I guess since the kid needs to finish the semester out, he is coming to stay with us and going to Casper,” he explained. </p>
<p>The bell rang to go to homeroom, and Danny sighed and moved to actually go to his classroom. </p>
<p>“Wait a minute!” Tucker exclaimed, following him down the hall. “Fancy boarding school? Is this cousin of yours loaded or something? There are people other than Vlad in your life that are totally loaded.”</p>
<p>“Tucker, you are never going to believe it when I tell you. Which is why I will wait until you meet the guy.”</p>
<p>Tucker groaned, “Danny! The suspense will kill me.”</p>
<p>“And that’s why I’m doing this, pal,” Danny laughed. </p>
<p>They bid goodbye to Sam and went to their respective homeroom. </p>
<p>“Danny, please tell me. Or give me a hint. Would I know who it is?” Tucker pleaded.</p>
<p>Danny pretended to ponder, “I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how into the tech industry you are.”</p>
<p>“Danny!” Tucker exclaimed, earning a few nasty looks thrown their way. </p>
<p>Danny just laughed.</p>
<p>xxx</p>
<p>At lunch, Tucker was still pestering him about the identity of his mysterious cousin. </p>
<p>“Danny, why do you insist on torturing him?” Sam asked, stifling a giggle at how her friends were acting. </p>
<p>“Because it’s hilarious, Sam, that’s why,” Danny explained. </p>
<p>“Please give me another hint,” Tucker pleaded. </p>
<p>“Okay, so the son who is staying with us is actually the guy's adopted son. From what I hear he is kind of a brat, which is why he got kicked out of his last school. And lucky me, I get to share my room with him for the next few weeks,” Danny said. </p>
<p>“Wow a great hint,” Tucker responded with an eye roll. “But do you really think this guy is gonna be a jerk?”</p>
<p>Danny took a bite of his lunch and gave it a thought. “I don’t want to make any rash assumptions, but being a rich kid who gets to go to fancy boarding schools and getting kicked out of his last one isn’t doing him any favors.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget Danny that I am one of those rich kids who could be going to those same schools if I didn’t fight my parents so hard,” Sam reminded him. “Maybe he’s just rebelling. Then, he will definitely fit in with our group.”</p>
<p>“Sam’s got a point,” Tucker pointed out. “I think we all can give the guy a chance.”</p>
<p>Danny snorted, “If the A-listers don’t try to swoop in and take him away before we get the chance.” </p>
<p>They all laughed and ate in silence for a moment. </p>
<p>“Honestly, I’m mostly worried about keeping the secret from him,” Danny admitted. </p>
<p>Tucker slapped his back, “Don’t worry, dude. We got you covered. If you ever can’t get out, Sam and I will keep a thermos on us and take down any ghosts that dare to show their faces.”</p>
<p>The trio went through the rest of their day with very little issues. That is, until their final class with Mr. Lancer.</p>
<p>As they entered the room, Danny felt the all too familiar chill come out of his mouth and immediately got the attention of his friends. </p>
<p>“Mr. Lancer, I feel really sick. Can I go to the nurse?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>Mr. Lancer looked skeptical. “Are you sure you need to go?”</p>
<p>Danny pretended to sway on his feet, and Tucker stepped in to help “steady” his friend. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I think I will take him, Mr. Lancer. Can Sam help me get him there?” Tucker asked. </p>
<p>“Well, I suppose so. No funny business in the halls. I expect to see the two of you back here soon,” Lancer relented. </p>
<p>The three left the room and immediately headed towards the main entrance of the school. </p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Sam asked. </p>
<p>“I don’t know but let’s head outside and check it out,” Danny replied. </p>
<p>Once they were outside, Danny dove behind a bush to quickly go ghost and investigate. </p>
<p>“Uh, Danny, I think I found the problem,” Tucker said, pointing towards the road. </p>
<p>Danny looked up after transforming and saw a ghost that he had never encountered before. He was currently standing at a telephone pole and seemingly pulling lots of energy from it. </p>
<p>Danny quickly went into action and flew over towards the ghost. </p>
<p>“Hey, man! I don’t know where you come from, but here we kinda have to pay for electricity,” he taunted.</p>
<p>The ghost did not take that very well, and without looking towards Danny, it threw up a bolt of electricity, which Danny barely avoided.</p>
<p>“Whoa! Not cool!” he exclaimed, looking to his friends in confusion. “Who even is this guy?”</p>
<p>Guess I’ll have to draw his attention some other way, Danny thought. He started throwing a couple of ectoblasts to really get the ghost’s attention. </p>
<p>That worked. The ghost turned and snarled in Danny’s direction, but the sound rippled with the sound of the electricity he had just consumed. </p>
<p>“Big mistake, child,” it rasped out before sending even more electricity his way, which knocked Danny to the ground next to Sam and Tucker. </p>
<p>“This guy really packs a punch,” he groaned. “It’s not safe for him to be here, but it seems like he needs the electricity for his strength. I’ll take the thermos and get him away from the school. You guys get back to class before Lancer flips.”</p>
<p>“Danny, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We can deal with Lancer later,” Sam said.</p>
<p>The ghost shot another bolt of electricity their way and they all leaped away just in time. </p>
<p>“Sam, I don’t know what to do except wear him out. And I can do that better from the sky. You guys go, and I’ll let you know once I shake him. Okay?”</p>
<p>Sam stared directly into his eyes. “You be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”</p>
<p>“No promises.” Danny smiled and flew back up into the air. “Hey! Over here!”</p>
<p>Danny spent the next hour or so flying around Amity Park and dodging bursts of electrical energy and trying to get the ghost to go towards the woods so it couldn’t recharge. Luckily, his hypothesis was correct and he was wearing the ghost down. </p>
<p>His luck did not last forever though, as he only made it as far as his own home before the ghost decided to deliver a big blow with his last bit of energy. It hit Danny right in the chest, and he had just barely enough time to turn intangible as he flew through the wall of his house and then crashed into the living room coffee table, turning back to normal in case people were coming. </p>
<p>It was good thinking on his part, as his family quickly came in to see what happened, as well as two other people: a tall man with dark hair and an amused expression on his face and a teenage boy who looked to be about Jazz’s age who looked just as confused and concerned as the rest of his family. </p>
<p>Danny locked eyes with the boy and smiled. “Hi, I’m Danny. You must be Dick.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi all! Special shoutout to my sister for essentially being my editor on this and reading it over with me a ton! Be sure to leave a comment letting me know what you think! Hope you enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nice to meet you, Danny," Dick started, looking down at Danny as he laid on the broken coffee table. "You good?"</p>
<p>Jazz had just run over to help her brother up. "Danny can be such a klutz. He's always tripping and running into things." She laughed nervously while looking over her brother for injuries.</p>
<p>"Jazz, get off of me. I'm fine. And yeah, like she said I just fall a lot," Danny replied, pushing his sister away.</p>
<p>"Okay…" Dick drawled. It was pretty obvious the boy had been thrown into that table by someone, but there wasn't anybody else in the house that could have done such a thing. Additionally, Danny did not look like he was in any distress.</p>
<p>Maddie immediately stepped in and started cleaning up. "Danny, why don't you help Dick take his stuff up to your room. We will take care of this."</p>
<p>Danny nodded and gestured for Dick to follow him, so Dick grabbed his suitcase from the front entrance of the house and followed. As they walked, Danny pointed out different parts of the house to him, like the bathroom and linen closet.</p>
<p>"This is Jazz's room," Danny said, gesturing to one of the bedrooms as they passed, "And this is mine."</p>
<p>As they entered, Dick took a look around the room. It seemed pretty typical for a teenage boy's room. The bed looked to be hastily made that morning, and the desk was cluttered with various papers. The room was decorated with NASA posters and rockets, and there was a cot put up in the far corner of the room.</p>
<p>"Sorry, you're stuck bunking with me," Danny laughed. "I bet you aren't used to sharing rooms."</p>
<p>Dick raised an eyebrow at that statement. "I mean I do go to boarding schools with roommates. Plus, this is much cleaner than some of the people that I have lived with." He couldn't help but think about Beast Boy's messy room, and how trashed the tower could get after a round of video games or a movie night. But Danny wouldn't know about any of that, so he wouldn't hold it against him.</p>
<p>Danny cringed. "Oh, I didn't think about that. Sorry."</p>
<p>"It's okay." Dick moved to put his suitcase next to the cot and begin unpacking some of the essentials. An awkward silence followed before he blurted out, "I'm not as bad as you think I am, you know."</p>
<p>As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Obviously, Danny would think poorly of Bruce Wayne's kid who he never met and is suddenly forced to share a space with. Any teenager would.</p>
<p>Danny stammered. "Wh-what? I don't think you're bad!"</p>
<p>Dick laughed awkwardly to try to lighten the mood and turned back to face his cousin. "I don't blame you. A seemingly spoiled rich kid who just got kicked out of one boarding school and is transferring to another, and his 'punishment' is going to public school. But it's not like that. I was kicked out for fighting, but I only ever fight to defend others."</p>
<p>Nice save, Grayson, he thought to himself. That will really help your case.</p>
<p>"I-I wasn't going to assume anything," Danny started, fidgeting some more and crossing his arms. "But yeah, it was a thought that crossed my mind. If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you just going to school in Gotham? You could be closer to your dad there."</p>
<p>Dick stiffened at that comment. It hit a little too close to home. "Bruce and I don't always see eye to eye. A little space between us is always good. I go home when I can, but the past few years I just needed to get away."</p>
<p>Understatement of the century, he thought snidely.</p>
<p>"So what kinds of things do you do for fun around here?" Dick asked, changing the subject.</p>
<p>"Well, if you want, my friends wanted to head to the Nasty Burger and then probably play some video games tonight. I thought I would have to blow them off, but I bet my mom would be okay with it if you came," Danny said.</p>
<p>"Greasy food and video games?" Dick smirked. "I'm in."</p>
<p>xxx</p>
<p>As they walked into the Nasty Burger, Danny immediately ushered Dick over to a booth that had two teenagers arguing about something sitting and eating. As they walked over, he took in the restaurant. It was packed with teenagers coming to hang out right after school.</p>
<p>"Tucker, I have told you a million times-" the girl was saying with an eye roll before noticing the two approaching boys. "Danny! I thought you weren't coming."</p>
<p>"Mom let me come since I offered to bring Dick," Danny explained then turned to his cousin. "Do you want anything to eat?"</p>
<p>Dick reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Just get me whatever you like. I'll pay for both of us."</p>
<p>Danny smiled. "Awesome!" Then, he went up to the register to order.</p>
<p>Dick turned to the teenagers at the booth "Hi, I'm Dick Grayson," he said as he slipped into the booth next to the boy.</p>
<p>"Tucker Foley," he responded, as they shook hands.</p>
<p>"And I'm Sam Manson," the girl said.</p>
<p>"Manson? Like the toothpick people?" Dick questioned.</p>
<p>The girl groaned in response, "Unfortunately. And Grayson? Like the ward of-"</p>
<p>"Unfortunately," Dick responded with a laugh.</p>
<p>"Wait, wait! Ward of who?" Tucker asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, my adoptive father is Bruce Wayne."</p>
<p>Tucker's jaw dropped before regaining his composure just to yell over to Danny, "Dude, you didn't tell me that his dad was freaking Bruce Wayne. Is that why you were being a jackass about telling me?"</p>
<p>Danny glared back at his friend as he walked back with his and Dick's food. "Please announce it to the whole restaurant, dude. And, yeah, I knew you'd totally freak and I enjoyed messing with you."</p>
<p>Tucker continued, "Wow, it's really an honor to meet you, Dick. I'm super into the tech industry, and Bruce Wayne is literally one of my biggest idols."</p>
<p>Dick just smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you too. Don't get too hyped up on Bruce, though. He may be super successful in his industry but he's also one of the biggest playboys in the country. Not necessarily a great model."</p>
<p>Unless you consider the fact that he is also one of the founding members of the Justice League. But Tucker wouldn't know that.</p>
<p>"Also an admirable trait in my book," Tucker responded, leaning back in his seat and putting his arms behind his head.</p>
<p>"Gross, Tucker," Sam said while stealing one of Danny's fries.</p>
<p>"Hey!" he protested. "That's mine, Sam!"</p>
<p>"My food's all gone. Yours is fresh," she teased, leaning into her friend while snatching up another one of his fries.</p>
<p>Dick glanced over at Tucker who faked a gagging motion. "They can be pretty gross sometimes. Even though neither of them will admit they are practically dating."</p>
<p>"We aren't dating!" they both yelled then immediately both blushed.</p>
<p>"Uh, huh," Tucker responded, smirking.</p>
<p>Dick just had to smile in response too. It reminded him a lot of how his and Starfire's relationship was for many years. He couldn't admit that he treated her like a girlfriend long before admitting his actual feelings. It was really hard for him to put aside his duty as a hero and admit how he felt to her.</p>
<p>The more he looked, the more he saw similarities. How they naturally sat close together and shared small glances that meant much more than they would ever admit. It made Dick smile, but also made his heart hurt for Starfire. He needed to call her tonight, even if just to let her know he was okay.</p>
<p>"Okay, so I need to be filled in on what makes this town the most haunted place in America. It seems pretty normal so far. What gives?" Dick asked, attempting to start the groundwork of his investigation.</p>
<p>The other three looked at each other for a moment before Tucker spoke up. "Well, we get a lot of ghosts here. It's pretty normal at this point, and honestly, a ton show up when we are at school so you will probably see something eventually."</p>
<p>"It's normal for you guys to see ghosts? Do they ever, like, attack you guys or anything?" Dick probed even further, hoping that the teens would divulge some information about the mysterious Danny Phantom.</p>
<p>It looked like Danny was about to answer when two boys with athletic builds and letterman jackets walked up to the table.</p>
<p>"Hey, dweebs, what's this we hear about Bruce Wayne's son hanging around here?" the blond one asked.</p>
<p>Dick narrowed his eyes. This was the one thing he could not get away from as Robin or Dick, there was always someone who was only thinking of him as being connected to his mentor. It definitely got under his skin and was one of the main reasons he was planning the switch to Nightwing soon, though he had not told any of his team members about that yet.</p>
<p>"What's it to ya, Dash?" Danny asked, also looking pretty angry.</p>
<p>The blond boy, Dash, was about to fire back at Danny when Dick spoke up, "Hi, Dick Grayson. Can I help you with something?"</p>
<p>"Why are you hanging around these losers? The actual cool kids are over there if you want to have a good time," Dash responded.</p>
<p>"As much as I'd love to, I think I would rather spend time with my cousin and his friends if that's okay"</p>
<p>"Hah! You're telling me your cousin is Fenturd? That's rich! No wonder, though, 'cause you're just as puny as him. But trust me, man, you don't wanna make an enemy out of me." Dash looked him up and down as if assessing Dick's skills.</p>
<p>Dick just laughed. "Okay, whatever you say."</p>
<p>Dash was visibly getting angrier.</p>
<p>"Hey, man, let's just go-" his friend tried to pull his arm.</p>
<p>"No! This guy is pissing me off. I don't care who his daddy is."</p>
<p>Dash lunged and grabbed at Dick's shirt in an attempt to pull him out of his seat. Dick quickly reacted and stood up before the boy could get the upper hand, and he smoothly turned to get out of the boy's grip while simultaneously sweeping his leg under Dash's legs, causing the larger boy to crash to the ground.</p>
<p>Dick leaned his knee on the boy's chest before he could try to get back up. "I don't want to be your enemy, and you don't want to be mine. Back. Off."</p>
<p>He stood up and looked over at the employees who looked very concerned about the situation. "We should probably go. Where are we playing video games?"</p>
<p>The other three shared looks like they were having a silent conversation.</p>
<p>"We're going to Sam's," Tucker said, and they all got up and left the restaurant with all eyes on them.</p>
<p>The walk home was silent to begin with, but eventually Tucker started rattling on and on about something to do with Wayne technology. Dick, however, wasn't listening as Danny and Sam had suspiciously started to walk slower and slower until they were out of earshot.</p>
<p>Dick couldn't hear words but he definitely heard the sharp tone of Sam's side of the conversation and Danny's softer responses. It didn't feel like a fight, but he had a strong suspicion it was a fierce conversation about him.</p>
<p>What was he thinking? Pulling a stunt like that in front of everybody? A detective needs to remain under the radar, not put himself right out into the spotlight.</p>
<p>Bruce would have a whole lecture prepared by now, he thought miserably while nodding along to whatever it was that Tucker had just said to him. Dick barely noticed that Sam and Danny had stopped walking a while ago, causing himself and Tucker to gain a considerable lead.</p>
<p>"Um, Tucker?" Dick got the tech nerd's attention, gesturing back to their friends who stopped following and were now standing very closely together on the sidewalk.</p>
<p>"Ugh, those two really need to just get over themselves. I'm tired of being the third wheel," Tucker complained before shouting to his friends, "You two lovebirds coming or not?"</p>
<p>Danny and Sam jumped apart and Danny yelled back, "Yeah, Tuck, we're coming!"</p>
<p>He and Sam started quietly talking again but continued walking, which seemed to satisfy Tucker.</p>
<p>"Come on, we're almost there," Tucker said, leading him towards one of the very large houses in the fancy neighborhood they were walking in.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again! I hope you are enjoying the story so far! This was a fun one to write because I love writing Danny and Sam. I've only ever written from Sam's perspective before, so enjoy my take on how a teenage boy dealing with his feelings.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they walked to Sam’s house from Nasty Burger, Tucker and Dick led the way with Tucker talking Dick’s ear off about the tech industry and asking millions of questions about his father’s company. </p><p>This gave Danny and Sam the opportunity to have a quiet conversation about what just happened. They allowed the other two boys to get much further ahead before Sam brought it up.</p><p>“What the hell was that Danny?” she asked.</p><p>“Well, he told me he got kicked out of his last school for fighting. Said that he is always protecting people,” Danny explained.</p><p>“But that was intense. That wasn’t some punk kid who gets into fights at school. There was training behind what he did.”</p><p>“Sam, he probably had some kind of martial arts training as a kid. Isn’t that a rich person’s activity? Like signing up your kids for dance classes?”</p><p>Sam snorted, “Like I would know. I fought my parents all the time not to put me in stuff like that. But even so, the way he told Dash to back off was downright scary.” She stopped walking and grabbed Danny’s hand. “I get that he’s your family, but I think we just need to be extra careful around him. I don’t know if I trust him yet.”</p><p>Danny looked down at their entwined hands and felt an unexpected rush of feelings in his chest, and he sighed, “Yeah, I get what you mean. I was kind of a jerk when he got here earlier and felt bad for assuming things, but we really know nothing about him. It’s so weird, too, that he showed up so suddenly. Even my dad never met Bruce Wayne, but my mom was so eager to help him out anyway.”</p><p>“Hey, I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. Just that he needs to earn our trust. And I could be wrong. You know I’m always the cynical one.” </p><p>Danny looked into Sam’s eyes and smiled. She blushed and smiled back, causing a similar heat to creep up on his own face. This was one of those very confusing moments for him, and they seemed to be happening more and more recently. Sam was one of his best friends in the world, and he was definitely feeling more-than-best-friend kind of feelings. </p><p>And it freaked him out.</p><p>“You two lovebirds coming or not?” yelled Tucker from up the street. </p><p>Danny and Sam jumped back from each other and blushed. He was both annoyed and grateful that the moment was ruined before he could say something really stupid.</p><p>But his hand definitely felt colder than normal without hers there. Which is saying something since his body temperature is significantly lower these days. </p><p>“Yeah, Tuck, we’re coming!” Danny called back. Then, quieter to Sam, “Honestly, Dick isn’t our biggest problem right now. That ghost that attacked earlier got away. He was definitely drained pretty quickly compared to other ghosts we have fought, but I was thrown into my own living room before I could get him into the thermos.”</p><p>Sam pursed her lips as they began walking again, “Well, we definitely need a plan in case he comes back, but that will be pretty hard with our new pal hanging out with us.”</p><p>“I know. And I’m worried what would happen if this guy really tapped into the power grid. He could wipe out power from the whole town, and I don’t think I’m strong enough to deal with him at that level, which would make draining his power very difficult.”</p><p>“Do you know how long he might need to recharge?”</p><p>Danny sighed, “I have no idea. It seemed like he used the last of his energy when I crashed into my house, but I have no idea how long it will take for him to get back to the strength he was earlier.”</p><p>At this point, they had finally caught up to Tucker and Dick, so they opted not to finish the conversation about this new ghost. Sam led them all into her house and down to her home theater. </p><p>Dick took everything in and laughed quietly “This puts Wayne Manor to shame in terms of fun things for teenagers.”</p><p>“Seriously? You’re telling me Bruce Wayne doesn’t have all the coolest toys?!” Tucker asked.</p><p>Danny was also surprised. He assumed that Wayne would be on top of everything and be getting his adoptive son the best and newest gaming systems. </p><p>“Well, he’s more into cars and bikes than video games, unfortunately,” Dick explained. “But my friends would think this is the coolest set up in the world.”</p><p>“It really is!” Tucker agreed readily. “I’m really only friends with Sam for her access to tech.”</p><p>“Hey!” Sam protested and punched his arm. “That can all be taken away in an instant.” </p><p>Tucker laughed uncomfortably. “You’re kidding, right?”</p><p>“Am I?” Sam’s cool expression gave nothing away and Danny immediately tried to change the subject in order to cool things down. </p><p>“Alright so let’s play some games! Sam has literally everything, so is there anything, in particular, you want to play, Dick?” Danny asked. </p><p>Dick smiled. “Do you have Mega Monkeys? Me and my friends love that one.”</p><p>Sam nodded and immediately went to find the game. Danny couldn’t help but let his eyes follow her as she walked across the room to get the game set up. Without even trying, she captivated him entirely.</p><p>He was broken from this trance by Tucker snapping in front of his face. “Earth to Danny. I was asking if you wanted to have the first turn?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah sure,” he responded, his face heating up again. He grabbed the controller from his friend while Tucker snickered at his reaction to being caught staring.</p><p>The four teens spent the next half hour playing against each other one on one, trading off who gets to play the winner each time. Dick was surprisingly good at the game, as he consistently played through most of the rounds. </p><p>Danny had just lost to Dick again and moved to sit next to Sam and pout while Tucker moved to take his next turn. He had opened his mouth to say something witty about Dick’s winning streak when he felt the familiar chill of his ghost sense. </p><p>Not knowing how to best get out of the situation, he locked eyes with Sam and silently pleaded for an excuse to leave. </p><p>Sam, knowing exactly what to do, announced, “Danny and I are going to get some snacks, but we are fresh out so we’re going to walk up to the corner store.”</p><p>Tucker looked back over his shoulder confused. “Sam, I thought your house is always stocked.” Then, realizing what she was actually saying, backtracked after receiving vicious glares from his other friends. “But yeah, I guess I’m not here all the time. See you in a bit!”</p><p>As Sam and Danny began to run upstairs, the power began to flicker. </p><p>“That can’t be good,” Sam groaned. “You head outside. I have some Fenton gear in my room. I’ll meet you out there.”</p><p>“Gotcha. Goin’ ghost!” Danny transformed and immediately went intangible to head out to the street. </p><p>Further down the block, the electricity ghost was again pulling electricity from the power lines. Not much had changed in regard to his appearance. He was bulkier and looked like he was wearing some kind of outer-armor, almost like Skulker. In this case, however, the armor was a bright yellow and seemed to pulse with energy as the ghost continued to pull energy. </p><p>“Hey, man! Great to see you again. You know, I didn’t catch your name earlier!” Danny called, pulling the ghost’s attention to himself. </p><p>“You again?” snarled the ghost, sending a stream of lightning towards Danny. </p><p>He quickly dodged the attack and called again, “Well, my name is Danny Phantom. Sometimes known as Ghost Child or Welp by my enemies. You may have heard of me, the savior of the Ghost Zone, and all, from Pariah Dark.”</p><p>Looking behind him, he saw that the bolt he dodged hit a bush that was currently on fire. A side effect that he was not prepared for with this attack. </p><p>“I care nothing for your heroics, child!” the ghost replied, floating up to Danny’s level. “You are nothing more than a mere annoyance.” He sent another bolt of electricity, this time hitting its mark causing Danny to fall a couple of feet. </p><p>“Okay, so no talking. Got it. I think I’ll call you Electro Man.”</p><p>Danny shot back a couple of ectoblasts, which the newly dubbed Electro Man deflected easily.</p><p>Danny blinked a couple of times. “What the hell? Those hit you!” Thinking quickly, he realized that he needed to get this ghost as far away from the people in the neighborhood as possible. While dodging new streams of electricity sent his way, he realized that the park was only a couple of blocks away. </p><p>At that moment, Sam arrived on her scooter with several pieces of Fenton ghost fighting technology. “What do you need me to do?” she called up to Danny. </p><p>“Get him to the park! It’s dusk, so there shouldn’t be too many people there and there won’t be anywhere for him to draw strength!” Danny called back as he sent more ectoblasts at Electro Man, all of which were still easily deflected.</p><p>And so the two of them worked in tandem, drawing Electro Man and his dangerous electricity blasts with them. Luckily, none of them had hit anybody’s home, but a lot of shrubberies suffered along the way. </p><p>Once they reached the park, Danny noticed the ghost looked significantly weaker, shown outwardly by his armor, which was a considerably less brilliant shade of yellow than before. </p><p>Electro Man sent another beam of electricity towards Danny, which hit its mark and slammed him into a nearby tree but didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the last time he landed a hit. So, yes, the ghost was definitely losing energy.</p><p>“He’s getting weaker, Sam! Keep firing!” Danny called. The Fenton tech was, fortunately, working a bit better than his own blasts which was a bit of a sting to his ego. But as the ghost weakened, it was clear that his own attacks were getting more effective. “I think his outer shield is what he was charging with the electricity. Without power, it’s harder for him to deflect!”</p><p>Sam nodded and continued to blast at Electro Man. They were situated on opposite sides of the ghost in an attempt to disorient him a bit more, which was proving to be effective at first. His own blasts were finally landing, and seemed to be causing significant damage, as the ghost’s aura continued to dim.</p><p>Electro Man fired another bolt of energy at Danny, which he easily deflected with his ectoshield. He noticed the ghost drop a bit in the air as he lost more energy, and time slowed down as he watched the ghost turn around and aim an attack directly at Sam, immediately knocking her to the ground. </p><p>“Sam!” Danny called rushing to her. He knew that catching Electro man should have been the priority and he was definitely allowing him to get away. But he really didn’t care because he was more worried about the safety of his best friend.</p><p>As Danny approached the ground, he quickly dropped to his knees, pulling Sam’s head into his lap, tapping her cheeks lightly. “Hey, Sam, wake up. Wake up, wake up,” he pleaded.</p><p>With a groan, Sam opened her eyes. “Shit, that hurt.”</p><p>“Thank god,” Danny sighed and saw that she had burns up and down her right arm. She was likely only hit with enough electricity to knock her down, and not enough to cause any significant damage. “Let’s get you back home.”</p><p>As he moved to pick her up, Sam audibly complained, “Danny you don’t have to carry me home. I’m fine, and all of my stuff is still here anyway. You plan on carrying my scooter, too?”</p><p>He had to admit that he had no plan on getting her gear back too. And there really was no fighting with a stubborn Sam Manson.</p><p>“Fine but I’m still making sure you get patched up,” Danny relented, helping her stand up. </p><p>It was a quick trip back to her house, where Danny transformed back to his human form. They located the ever-present first-aid kit, which Danny, Sam, and Tucker all had in their own bedrooms for this exact reason. </p><p>Danny gave her a cool cloth to put on her arm while he searched for some cream and a bandage to put on her arm. He worked quickly and quietly, noting that it was significantly darker outside than before, meaning more time had passed than he thought.</p><p>“Are the other two still here?” he asked to finally break the silence, worried that they may come looking for them. He had no good explanation for what they were doing. </p><p>“No, Tucker texted me,” Sam responded. “He took Dick back to your house. Said he had lots of ghost fight questions. So be prepared for that when you get home.”</p><p>Danny groaned, wrapping the final bandage on her arm. “How on earth am I supposed to live with this guy without exposing myself? Especially with a ghost that we’ve never heard of on the loose?”</p><p>“Your clever wit?” Sam offered and laughed when Danny shot her a nasty look. “Hey, it’s only a couple of weeks. We will figure it out. You should go home, though.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“No, I’m going to be okay. You need to go home.”</p><p>Again. No fighting with a stubborn Sam Manson, so Danny nodded and transformed before slipping out of her window to head home. </p><p>As he neared his window to slip in discretely, he remembered that Dick would likely already be in there and that would not work at all. Instead, he braved the front door. </p><p>His parents stopped him as he passed the living room.</p><p>“Danny! Where were you? Tucker brought Dick home forever ago! We were so worried!” his mother began berating. </p><p>Danny winced, “Sorry, Mom. Sam and I went to get snacks and got caught up in a ghost attack on our way back. We were kinda hiding while Phantom was fighting some other ghost.”</p><p>“You saw the Ghost Boy!” his Dad exclaimed. “How close were you? Did you see anything we can use against him?”</p><p>Again, Danny winced. “We weren’t that close. And we’re both fine, thanks for asking.”</p><p>Maddie’s face softened and she elbowed her husband. “Oh, sweetheart, you know your father means well. We are glad you are okay. Be sure to thank Tucker for getting your cousin back here safely.”</p><p>“I will,” Danny reassured as he moved to head up to his room. </p><p>He pulled out his phone and began to type out a text to Tucker as he approached his room, but became distracted as he heard Dick talking on the phone. Not wanting to interrupt, he simply leaned against the wall waiting for him to wrap up. </p><p>What he overheard next was simply an accident.</p><p>“Yeah, Star, I miss you too. Don’t worry. I’ll be home before you even realize it.” Dick sighed and paused. “It means that this time will go quickly and I’ll be back before you realize that the time has passed. Please update the others for me. I don’t really have much privacy here, so I don’t know how often I’ll be able to call, but I promise I will whenever I can.”</p><p>Danny’s eyes widened. Obviously Dick was talking to some girl, but where was home? If she was his girlfriend from his last school he obviously wasn’t going back there. And if she was in Gotham, he made it clear he wasn’t going back there any time soon, which called into question something new. </p><p>Where was “home” for Dick Grayson? And if he plans on going back, why is he here?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all! Time for some Dick Grayson and his many, many thoughts. And maybe a little angst if you squint. I hope you all enjoy! Be sure to leave a comment letting me know your thoughts!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dick had just experienced his first ghost attack, at least from a distance. </p><p>When Danny and Sam left to get snacks, he had questioned Tucker more about the ghost activity in town, and Tucker explained the town’s savior to him: Danny Phantom. </p><p>“So a lot of the ghosts that come here kinda wanna cause trouble, and Danny Phantom will show up and save us. A lot of the adults in town think he causes the trouble, but most of the kids agree that he’s a good guy; a hero. And nobody can dispute the fact that he saved our whole town from being sucked into the Ghost Zone last week, so we at least owe him for that,” Tucker said after they wrapped up their current round of Mega Monkeys. </p><p>Dick was going to ask him more about the Ghost Zone when the power flickered. Tucker tried to explain that it was probably nothing, but then the power flickered more before shutting off completely. His natural curiosity got the better of him, and against Tucker’s wishes, he went upstairs to see the infamous Danny Phantom himself fighting a ghost right outside Sam’s house. </p><p>Eventually, he did lead the ghost away, likely to a less populated area, but Dick definitely noted Phantom’s heroics in battle, as well as support from someone on the ground. Unfortunately, they were so far away that he could not get a good look at who was helping the ghost, but they seemed to rely on weapons and were not super-powered in any way. </p><p>When the battle was a considerably safer distance away, Tucker insisted on taking Dick back to Fenton Works, claiming that it was much safer there, and while he was not sure why, he let the boy take him back. Tucker reassured him that Danny and Sam were likely taking cover at whatever store they were at and Danny would be home when it was safe. </p><p>Dick had no reason to disagree despite his natural instincts screaming at him to go rescue any civilians that could have been caught in that path of destruction. </p><p>However, Dick took advantage of the moment and privacy and called Starfire, which he had been itching to do all day. </p><p>“Robin!” Starfire’s voice immediately sent his heart soaring. “How is the secret project with the Batman?”</p><p>“Hey, Star.” Dick let himself break into an easy smile. “I just got here. He has me here investigating another superpowered teen for the Justice League, and honestly, he has great potential to be a part of the Titans network.”</p><p>“So it’s not a secret?” Starfire asked, sounding confused. </p><p>Dick laughed, “Oh, it might be, but he can’t make me keep secrets from my own team. And especially not you.”</p><p>Any more than he already is, Dick thought to himself. Bruce was very strict about who can and cannot know their identities. Despite being on his own for several years now and the resentment Dick has for Bruce about it, he respected keeping Bruce’s identity enough of a secret to not spill the beans just yet. </p><p>Just another reason to make the switch from Robin to Nightwing sooner rather than later. Then, his identity won’t easily connect to Bruce, and his friends might forgive him for lying to them for years.</p><p>“How long will this mission be?” Starfire asked. </p><p>Dick sighed. “Unfortunately, I will be here for a couple of weeks. I’m laying low and going to the local high school while I investigate.”</p><p>“Oh.” Starfire’s normally hopeful tone faltered. “You will call for the team if you need help?”</p><p>Her inflection implied a question, but Dick knew that it was more of a command. She was worried, and he couldn’t blame her. </p><p>“Star, you will be the very first person I call. But, hopefully, it doesn’t get that serious.”</p><p>Starfire paused for a moment. “I miss you, Robin.”</p><p>“Yeah, Star, I miss you too. Don’t worry. I’ll be home before you even realize it.” Dick sighed.</p><p>“Before I realize it?”</p><p>“It means that this time will go quickly and I’ll be back before you realize that the time has passed,” he explained. “Please update the others for me. I don’t really have much privacy here, so I don’t know how often I’ll be able to call, but I promise I will whenever I can.”</p><p>“Okay. Robin?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“Be careful.”</p><p>Dick smiled. “Always, Star. I’ll call when I can. Goodnight.”</p><p>“Pleasant shlorvax, Robin.”</p><p>Dick was surprised when Danny walked into the room so soon after he ended the call with Starfire as normally his instincts can tell when someone is approaching. He was suddenly thankful for not using the video call on his communicator, as he likely would not have gotten his mask off in time. </p><p>And that would have been a difficult situation to explain. </p><p>Dick sat down on his cot and said, “We saw a ghost fight after you and Sam left. Are you both okay?” </p><p>Danny nodded. “Yeah, we pretty much just stayed hidden till the fight was over. Sam was a little shaken, so I stayed with her for a bit before heading back.”</p><p>“What do you think about that Phantom guy? Tucker was telling me he is pretty much a hero around here,” Dick probed, hoping to get some more insight.</p><p>Danny gave him an incredulous look. “Dick, do you know what my family does for a living?”</p><p>That caught Dick off guard. What does that have to do with anything? What does that have to do with that Phantom kid? “Well, Bruce isn’t always forthcoming with information, so I can’t say that it ever came up.”</p><p>“My parents are ghost hunters. They develop and manufacture ghost hunting equipment. They hate ghosts and Phantom for that matter. If they had it their way, they would rip him apart ‘molecule by molecule,’” Danny explained. </p><p>Well, that would be what the family business has to do with anything. “But what about you? Surely, you have an opinion on the guy, or ghost, or whatever he is.” Dick questioned. </p><p>Danny shrugged, moving around his room and gathering various items. “If my parents ask, I’m against ghosts just as much as them. But clearly Phantom is out there protecting the people of this town. He’s no superhero, but he’s trying his best to do the right thing. And without him, who knows what the ghosts in this town would get up to?”</p><p>Dick absorbed that for a moment. Tucker very clearly had described Phantom as a hero, savior of the town, but Danny’s explanation humanized the actions of this superpowered teenager. And it was clear that people saw him as just as much of a ghost as the ones he fought, so he was likely not a metahuman. </p><p>He was about to ask Danny another question, but before he could, Danny said, “I’m getting a shower,” and left the room.</p><p>Dick took the opportunity to collect his thoughts and go to bed. </p><p>xxx</p><p>Dick woke up with the rising sun the following day for school. While under Batman’s wing, he was definitely used to being a creature of the night, but as he got used to his life with his team in Jump City, Dick discovered that he loved mornings. So long as he wasn’t out patrolling the entire night before, that is. </p><p>At first, it seemed like he was the only one up, but he was surprised to see Jazz sitting at the kitchen table with a book and a cup of coffee.</p><p>“Good morning!” she greeted. “Coffee is ready if you drink it. If not, we have tea. Or there’s milk and juice in the fridge.”</p><p>“Morning,” Dick replied. “Coffee sounds amazing.”</p><p>As he moved to get some, Jazz cooly said, “I’m normally the first one up for a while. It’s nice to have some company for once.”</p><p>Dick laughed. “Yeah, I tend to be an early riser these days.”</p><p>“That’s not very prep school bad boy of you.” Jazz smirked. </p><p>Dick really was going to kill Bruce for this cover story. </p><p>“I’m not a bad boy,” he groaned and Jazz laughed in response. </p><p>“Hey, I’m not going to judge you for your behaviors, but psychologically, it makes sense that you would be at least a little bit rebellious,” she explained. </p><p>“What do you mean?” Dick asked, with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“Unlike the rest of my family, I do my research. All Mom told me was that Bruce Wayne adopted you when you were nine, but a quick search on the internet tells me all I need to know. And I’m sorry about what happened to your family.”</p><p>Dick stiffened. Nobody had brought up his family this directly in years, besides maybe Bruce or Alfred occasionally. It wasn’t a huge secret, necessarily. Like Jazz pointed out, anybody with a computer could easily find out about the Flying Graysons and the tragic “accident” that killed his parents at Haly’s Circus. </p><p>It didn’t mean he liked talking about it though.</p><p>“Yeah, um, thank you. I don’t really want to talk about it,” Dick replied, cautiously.</p><p>Jazz looked up at him and continued, “I don’t mean to push. I know I’m good at that, but you need to know that repressed trauma is not healthy at all. Talking about it and working through those feelings is a necessary step to feeling better. I’ve been trying to tell my family that ever since Danny’s accident, but nobody wants to hear it. I don’t presume to know anything about you, but fighting and getting pushed around to different schools is definitely a sign that you are not handling things very well.”</p><p>Well, she’s not wrong, he thought, dumbfounded. Also, very observant and intelligent. Time to change the subject.</p><p>“Accident?” he asked, genuinely curious.</p><p>Jazz cringed and looked back down at her book, frantically smoothing down the pages. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. It’s more Danny’s thing to tell you, not me, but he never talks about it anyway. There was a mishap in our parent’s lab, and Danny was hurt really bad,” she explained then hastily added, “He’s obviously fine now, physically.”</p><p>Dick really wasn’t expecting that answer, nor was he expecting how frazzled Jazz would become after he asked about it. She wasn’t showing any tells of lying, but it definitely felt like he wasn’t being told the whole truth.</p><p>But who was he to ask about this family’s trauma? It’s not like he was willing to talk about his own, but Dick definitely took note that this was the second time Jazz had acted weird in regard to her brother. </p><p>Eventually, Danny joined them, but at that point, he was running very late, as Jazz and Dick were ready to walk out the door. </p><p>“Go ahead without me, guys. I’ll catch up!” Danny announced as he swooped into the kitchen to grab something to eat while simultaneously shoving books into his backpack. </p><p>“Okay, little brother. Try not to be too late.” Jazz responded curtly.</p><p>Dick could only assume that this was a regular occurrence. As they walked in silence, he kept trying to think of ways to bring up Phantom with Jazz but could come up with no casual way of bringing it up. </p><p>Well, the family was made up of ghost hunters. Surely, it was a normal conversation to them no matter what. </p><p>“So Danny told me about the family business last night. I have to say that ghost hunting was not at all what I expected Fenton Works to be,” he started.  </p><p>Jazz paused briefly, causing Dick to turn and look back at her. She quickly shook it off and started walking again. “It’s weird that Danny would bring it up. He’s not very interested in what our parents do.”</p><p>Well, that was already very clear from how he was acting last night, Dick thought. But what does Jazz think about all of this?</p><p>“Yeah,” Dick continued, “It really only came up because there was a ghost fight when we were at Sam’s house and I was asking him about Phantom. He was kinda short with me, but he seems to think that this Phantom guy is doing some good in this town. Do you think so?”</p><p>“Obviously, he is keeping us safe from the ghosts that attack our town. My parents may be leagues ahead of anybody else in their field, but they also still know very little. While they do not like or trust Phantom, I think they also have bruised egos when it comes to him,” Jazz explained. </p><p>“Tucker mentioned the town being sucked into the Ghost Zone. What do they know about that?”</p><p>Again, Jazz paused before answering. </p><p>“Our lab in the basement has my parent’s life work in it. Ever since they were in college, they wanted to create a portal to the Ghost Zone. It’s like a parallel dimension where the ghosts come from. The biggest reason that there are so many ghosts in Amity Park is because of that portal, and if not for Phantom, we would not be standing here right now. He saved us all.”</p><p>Dick considered that for a moment. If this was some kind of parallel world, Raven would likely have some kind of insight on the place. He would have to ask her about it at some point. He also considered what Jazz said about her parents. They had a strong dislike for the ghost boy, but both of their children admitted to the boy being a hero and saving the town often. </p><p>The more he heard, the more he wanted to meet the infamous Phantom himself, but he would need to take time and plan some kind of way to get to him as Robin. </p><p>“Isn’t it weird living in a house with a portal to another dimension in it?” he asked with a laugh.</p><p>Jazz laughed with him. “I don’t know. Is it weird to live in the same city as a member of the Justice League?”</p><p>Try living in the same house as him, he laughed to himself. </p><p>“You got me. We all live weird lives,” he conceded as they walked up to the front entrance of Casper High. “Casper? That’s an unfortunate coincidence.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You know, Casper the friendly ghost?”</p><p>Jazz erupted into a fit of giggles. “Oh my god. I really never noticed. It’s just always been called that. Let’s get you to the front office for your schedule.”</p><p>The women in the front office were definitely very curious about the new student, and especially the guardian listed on all of his forms. None of them said anything to Dick directly, but he felt their stares and heard their whispers as he handed over paperwork and received his schedule for the day. </p><p>“Dick Grayson!” exclaimed a voice and he turned to see a short Asian woman stepping out of one of the side offices. “It is a pleasure to have you visit our school. I am Principal Ishiyama.”</p><p>Dick plastered his best public figure smile onto his face and reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “Wonderful to meet you, Principal Ishiyama. Thank you so much for allowing me to attend school here for this brief period of time. I believe my father will be making a donation to your science program as a token of gratitude as well.”</p><p>She was clearly taken aback but was then immediately very grateful. “I will be sure to send a thank you on behalf of the school to Mr. Wayne. Our STEM clubs will definitely appreciate the generosity.”</p><p>Dick smiled. He and Bruce had discussed this at length and decided that with how underfunded public schools could be, this would be the best way to keep the school officials from questioning his brief appearance. It was kind of manipulative, but Bruce made donations like this to various schools and charities often. He was after all a well-known philanthropist as well as a businessman.</p><p>And for the first time in years, Dick went to school.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again! Sorry it's been so long, but I've just been really busy the past few weeks. Hopefully, I can update a little more regularly now, but I'm moving into school soon so I can't guarantee anything. </p>
<p>But comments keep me motivated! So be sure to let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Danny didn’t sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was worried about Sam, worried about the ghost, and suspicious of the person he was now sharing a room with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick kept asking him questions about Phantom. How on earth was he supposed to answer those with any form of grace? His parents can be pretty oblivious to his and Jazz’s pretty bad lying. And he only recently discovered that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jazz</span>
  </em>
  <span> found out his secret a while ago without him even noticing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Basically, it was a wonder that the whole town didn’t already know. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And normally he wouldn’t think too much about someone new asking about ghosts, but it was the intensity of Dick’s stare that was getting to him. He got the sense that his cousin knew more than he was letting on about their town. And then there was the question of who he was talking to on the phone about “going home?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny’s solution: ghost him. Well, poor choice of words in this case, more like ignore the questions that he asked. If he wanted more information, he could ask literally any other teenager in Amity Park.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He managed to brush off Dick’s questions for the night by quickly excusing himself to get a shower. It was here that he finally let himself relax for the first time all night. He had taken quite the beating and was too worried about Sam to realize how much pain he was in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he got back to his room, he went right to bed, purposely avoiding Dick’s gaze, but sleep did not come easy. He first texted Sam just to make sure she was okay. Her response:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Go to sleep. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That calmed him a little. Her injuries wouldn’t be keeping her at home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, he remembered that he was going to update Tucker, so he sent him a series of texts trying to explain what had happened. Tucker’s response:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dude, go to sleep. You are interrupting mine. We will talk tomorrow. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which left Danny with his own thoughts. Why did this ghost, Electro Man, keep getting away from him? It was very easy to drain him of his energy, but in the process, he also became very tired. And at the last minute, the ghost always does something that distracts Danny enough in order to get away. Clearly, he needed more help. Even two-on-one wasn’t enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More help would be great, but unfortunately that was not an answer. Vlad was the only other person who knew his secret and had any kind of substantial power that would be useful. However, that man would never even </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> about helping Danny without some kind of ulterior motive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Seriously a crazed fruit loop,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Danny thought, surprised the older halfa even came to mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Actually, I do know why: I’m desperate. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This ghost posed a serious threat to his town. The normal destruction can be dealt with, but wrecking the power grid is a bigger problem that Danny was not prepared to deal with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something else was nagging him about this ghost. He doesn’t seem fully ghost-like. Yes, he flies and can shoot out electricity, but Danny has not seen Electro Man go intangible or invisible either of the times that they have fought. If it weren’t for his ghost sense, he wouldn’t even know for sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Additionally, something has just felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span> about their fights. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny realized that he actually did fall asleep when he frantically woke up to his alarm the next morning. Looking at the time, he also realized that he had also hit snooze on his alarm in his sleep and was running late. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perfect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scrambled out of bed and quickly threw on clothes then rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and try to tame his hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he rushed downstairs, hastily shoving books into his backpack, Danny noticed Jazz and Dick ready to leave and seemingly waiting for him in the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go ahead without me, guys. I’ll catch up!” Danny announced as he rushed to find something to eat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, little brother. Try not to be too late.” Jazz responded curtly. Danny could only roll his eyes in response. She should know by now that running late was his normal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remembering that he could make up lost time by flying to school, he let himself sit down and actually eat something substantial. It was bad enough that he barely slept, but he knew his friends would be extra disappointed if he also skipped out on a filling breakfast, especially Sam.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled, pulling out his phone and shooting a quick message to her: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Need a ride?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam responded quickly: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t think you can dote on me just because I got hurt. I can take care of myself.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But yes I would like a ride. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny just laughed, picking up his backpack and going ghost before flying over to Sam’s house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’s the arm?” he asked, poking his head in through her window. Sam’s back was to him, so he couldn’t help but laugh when she jumped slightly at his sudden presence. She was wearing her typical, goth-like clothing, but he noticed that she had a zip-up jacket over her normal crop top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He also laughed when she scowled at him for laughing the first time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not too bad. I’m gonna keep this on until I don’t need the bandages though. I really don’t need anybody asking what happened,” she explained, while tugging on one of the jacket sleeves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Makes sense,” Danny responded. “It’s getting a bit chilly out anyway, especially when flying. So I’m sure you will appreciate it this morning. We should go though. Otherwise, we are going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> late.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam laughed and allowed Danny to scoop her up in his arms. Their flight to school was much too short in his opinion. Sam seemed to love the flying experience, and Danny loved holding her close and watching her excitement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like a friend, of course. That’s what he would tell anybody else, anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped them off behind some trees, and Sam kept an eye out while he transformed back to his human form. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you able to slip in unnoticed last night?” she asked as they walked towards the school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny groaned, “No. My parents caught me on the way in since I couldn’t just slip into my room like I normally would. And Dick kept asking me questions about ghosts and Phantom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam frowned. “What do you mean asking questions?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just asking what I thought of him. Asking if I thought he was a hero.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess it would make sense if he saw Phantom fighting for the first time he would ask questions. Just be careful. You are a really bad liar sometimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny feigned hurt with a dramatic hand over his heart, “I resent that, Sam.” He smiled when the frown left her face and was replaced with a soft laugh. “But even so, I might not be the only one with secrets between me and Dick.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s eyebrow raised, “Really?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were just walking into the school as the bell rang.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny groaned. “I’ll tell you and Tucker together at lunch. I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holding you to that,” Sam responded before jogging off in the direction of her homeroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Needless to say, it was difficult to focus in class that morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First of all, he was tired. Which was pretty much the norm at this point. Late night ghost fights tend to ruin the next day at school. But since bringing up Dick’s suspicious behavior to Sam, he hasn’t stopped running the whole circumstance surrounding his appearance through his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This guy pretty much shows up out of nowhere from a distant relative, but his parents think nothing of it. Also, he is transferring between boarding schools but needs to finish the semester at public school? The whole situation seems unheard of. To top it all off, Dick seems to have some kind of anger issues or something if he was kicked out for fighting and then had no problems taking Dash down. Granted, Dash wasn’t fighting back, but he’s also not easily taken down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then there was that conversation Danny overheard. Dick was talking to someone called Star. Probably a girl, maybe a girlfriend? It was just very weird that he told this girl that he would be home soon. Going somewhere that he considers “home” doesn’t line up with everything else about why Dick is here in the first place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When lunch finally rolled around, Danny explained all of this to Sam and Tucker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait. When were you guys gonna tell me that you were suspicious of Dick?” Tucker exclaimed when Danny finished. “I thought he was cool!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tucker, is that really what you’re concerned with right now?” Sam asked with an eye roll. “But I think Danny’s right to be suspicious. Clearly, he has some kind of secret. But I think we have a bigger problem right now that deserves more of our attention.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny sighed. “Sam’s right. That ghost is also giving me a weird feeling. He’s almost not ghost-like enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well your ghost sense went off when he was around, right?” Tucker questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Danny responded. “But it felt weird when I was fighting him. He only used flying and electricity to fight me. No other distinctly ghost-like abilities.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam narrowed her eyes. “It also seemed like his powers drained easily. Like he was running on battery power that we just ran out. He got away because of a cheap shot.” She rubbed her injured arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker paused in thought. “Maybe he does run off of some kind of power source. That’s why he is using the electricity to charge his powers. Rather than charging himself he is charging some kind of battery.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny and Sam took that in for a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe.” was all Danny could muster as a response. His brain was working overtime right now and everything was so confusing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trio ate in silence as they noticed Jazz and Dick walking over to their table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey guys!” Jazz greeted warmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Jazz,” they all mumbled back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She scowled at the three as she forced herself down next to Sam, gesturing for Dick to sit across from her by Tucker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you all a bunch of sourpusses today. I was just telling Dick about the Fall Festival that’s happening next weekend. You guys are going right?” Jazz asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny honestly had forgotten all about the Fall Festival. The event was the talk of the town recently. There were going to be some big music acts coming, as well as food trucks and other vendors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He briefly considered taking Sam there as a date, but immediately brushed that idea from his mind. She would laugh in his face if he asked her out for real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That thought was immediately cut short by the power flickering in the cafeteria. A lot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Danny,” Sam warned, turning to make eye contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got the message, and stood up abruptly. “Um, I’m heading to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Smooth, Fenton. Remember to work on your excuses,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as he ran into the empty bathroom, the power continuing to flicker before going out completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Going ghost!” he shouted as he transformed into Danny Phantom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He noticed that his actual ghost sense hadn’t gone off yet, so he figured he would have to search for Electro Man. However, he was surprised to find the ghost right outside the school where they first encountered him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Similarly to the other times he encountered Electro Man, he was pulling energy out of the power lines. But this time, he seemed to be finished sucking up power before Danny could stop him. As he approached, he finally felt the familiar wisp of his ghost sense. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Danny could even say anything, Electro Man bellowed out, “Too late now, wimp! I’ve finally figured out this new suit. Now nobody can stop me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>New suit? So he </span>
  </em>
  <span>is </span>
  <em>
    <span>running off some kind of power source then,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Danny thought, trying to find where any weak spot in this suit could be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So he does talk!” Danny exclaimed. “I was worried for a bit, there. I hate missing out on the witty banter in a fight!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up!” Electro Man threw a powerful shot of energy at Danny, which hit its mark right away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He crashed into a nearby tree but quickly recovered and returned to the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all you got, man? Surely you can do better than that!” Danny called, sending a couple of ecto blasts back towards the ghost. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Electro Man quickly dodged before screaming in rage and sending back an even more powerful blast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny didn’t have time to react before he noticed himself flying towards the cafeteria, and willed himself intangible before crashing into one of the tables. Luckily, it was the one with his friends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch,” he muttered to himself before Electro Man broke through the windows. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Dick curse under his breath before another bolt of electricity was shot at the remains of their table. Everyone dove out of the way immediately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nobody can beat me now! This is the strongest I’ve ever been!” he bellowed again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well you seem to get tired pretty easy, pal!” Danny yelled back before shooting off one of his ecto blasts. Then to Sam and Tucker, “I’m going to lead him back to the park again. He can’t recharge there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hoped they also got his subliminal message that was “please meet me there I can’t take this guy by myself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fight leading Electro Man to the park was exhausting. Danny was doing a better job of blocking and dodging the electricity, but the ghost was also strong enough to take most of his shots as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He still only used the power of flight and electricity, so either that was all he could do or he was still figuring out the suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Must be like Skulker,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Danny thought to himself while looking for potential weak spots in the armor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking around for his friends, he was instead surprised to find a bright red motorcycle speeding toward their location.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Who on earth is--</span>
  </em>
  <span> was all Danny thought before being blown out of the sky again by Electro Man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, this ghost really packs a punch,” he groaned as the motorcycle pulled up next to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate to tell you this, but that’s no ghost,” the boy said getting off the bike. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny looked over and was floored. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit, you’re Robin!” he exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Robin nodded before they both had to move out of the way of another bolt of electricity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s Adonis! He’s definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a ghost, just a normal guy in a powerful suit,” Robin explained as they tried to regroup behind a tree. He nodded out towards the road, “It looks like your friends are on their way. Keep wearing him down, but don’t fight him like a ghost. Fight him like a person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny was shocked at this revelation, but he didn’t have much time to give it much thought before they went back into action. They both emerged from either side of the tree, Danny throwing ecto blasts and Robin charging with a bo staff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This caught Adonis by surprise, knocking him out of the air. “Titans in Amity Park? I thought you guys were just in Jump?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unfortunately for you, Adonis, I just happened to be here on business. And now I’m going to help Phantom take you down!” Robin yelled back, charging again with his bo staff. Adonis knocked him to the side, but he quickly rolled and got back up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny had to agree with Adonis for a moment. What kind of business did Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, have in Amity Park?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny threw another couple of ecto blasts as his friends showed up with other ghost weapons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s human!” Danny called down to his friends. “He has some kind of ghost tech powering his suit. Just wear him down like we’ve been doing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They got the idea, but just as Danny turned back to the fight, he was hit directly in the chest with another bolt of electricity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny hit the ground and the next thing he saw was black. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi friends! Sorry it's been a minute, but school started and I have been extra busy! So to make up for it, this chapter is extra long :) I hope you all enjoy, and be sure to leave a comment letting me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dick’s first day of school was surprisingly eventful. </p><p>After meeting Principal Ishyama, she walked him to his homeroom while also giving a brief tour of the school. She made a point to point out what Bruce’s donation would be benefitting, and Dick made a mental note to pass along the information. </p><p>Jazz trailed slightly behind them, as they shared a homeroom and she seemed slightly annoyed that Principal Ishyama didn’t just let her show Dick around the school. </p><p>Homeroom was uneventful and luckily he and Jazz also shared their first period class, so she was able to show him the way. </p><p>As they walked in, she greeted the teacher for him. “Hi Mr. Lancer! This is my cousin, Dick Grayson. He’s new.”</p><p>The bald man in front of them scowled. “And temporary, so I have heard. You better not cause any trouble in my class, Mr. Grayson. I don’t like what I have heard about you and I will not treat you any differently than any other student here. Is that clear?”</p><p>Dick resisted the urge to defend himself. He reminded himself that he needed this cover story and, therefore, needed people to dislike him in order for this all to work. </p><p>Instead, he opted to give a slight nod. “Yes, sir. Understood,” he told Mr. Lancer. </p><p>Lancer seemed to approve of that answer and pointed out a seat for Dick to sit in. </p><p>Jazz had a slight scowl on her face. “Why didn’t you defend yourself? You literally just gave me a whole speech about how you aren’t a bad boy.”</p><p>Dick shrugged. “Some battles aren’t worth fighting. It will be easier to gain his trust in the long run if I just earn it the hard way.”</p><p>Her scowl began to slip from her face. “I suppose that makes sense. I just know I hate when people think poorly of me. Which unfortunately a lot of people do thanks to my family.”</p><p>“Hey, then we are in this together.” Dick smiled at Jazz as they sat down in their seats.</p><p>Jazz smiled back. “Yeah, I guess we are.”</p><p>Dick is naturally a very studious person. He loves to learn new things. However, he has always been more of a hands on learner ever since he was young. After all, he essentially learned physics by being an acrobat. He also learned from Bruce in a very hands-on way. If you could call it that. </p><p>Basically, regular school was not engaging enough for Dick. That was one of the best parts about leaving Gotham for him, not having to go to school anymore. And now he was in his own personal hell.</p><p>While Mr. Lancer was giving an introduction to some book they were going to start reading, Dick’s mind couldn’t help but wander. </p><p>He hoped that his team was doing fine without him. He more than trusted Cyborg to lead, but he honestly really missed his friends. He never would have guessed that he would get so used to their lifestyle of crime fighting and hanging out but somehow he did. </p><p>Then there was Starfire. He was glad that he got the chance to talk to her the previous night. He knew better than to be worried about her when he was gone, but he still hated not being back in Jump. And while Cyborg was typically second-in-command, Star has definitely shown the ability to step up and take lead when necessary as well.</p><p>The team was in good hands. </p><p>And finally there was his problem at hand: Phantom. The kids of the town see him as a hero while the adults see him as a menace. Not unheard of for metahumans who are starting to step into a hero role to have supporters and doubters, but never really this cut and dry. </p><p>He needed to meet Danny Phantom. He would continue to gather information from civilians, but he needed to figure out the guy for himself. And the best way to do that is face-to-face. </p><p>“Mr. Grayson, would you care to share your insight?” Mr. Lancer questioned, pulling his attention back into the classroom.</p><p>Dick felt his face heat up in embarrassment from being caught not paying attention but was saved by the bell ringing for the end of class. </p><p>He let a sly grin creep up onto his face and responded, “Next time, sir, I promise.”</p><p>Mr. Lancer did not look too thrilled with that response, but Dick slipped out of the room before the teacher could reprimand him for not paying attention during class. </p><p>Unfortunately, he and Jazz had to go separate ways for his next class, so he had to actually be on his own for the first time all morning.</p><p>It was clear this school does not get a lot of new students. Almost every student was eyeing him up in some way; some were just out of curiosity and others felt more threatening, and this put Dick on edge.</p><p>One stare in particular felt very angry. Dick recognized the guy immediately. The blond jock from the Nasty Burger, Dash.</p><p>“Well, look who it is. Walking around like he owns the place,” the boy’s nasal voice cut through the crowd in the hallway.</p><p>Dick rolled his eyes. “Nope. Just walking to class.”</p><p>“Don’t get smart with me, Grayson. I didn’t forget about your stunt yesterday, and I’m more than prepared to kick your ass today to get even,” Dash threatened, moving closer. </p><p>Dick took a step backwards and met the wall. Cornered. Not great. And no matter how pissed he got at the guy he can’t risk fighting him again. Getting in trouble with the school would not bode well for his investigation.</p><p>“Dash, I don’t want to have any problems. I just want to get to class. Is that okay with you?” Dick attempted to move past his aggressor but was stopped with a shove to the shoulder.</p><p>“You go now and you’re a coward, just like that wimp you call your cousin. You know you could never handle me when I’m actually prepared for a fight. You just got lucky,” Dash spat. </p><p>Dick struggled to fight his own ego and pride and instead took a deep breath. Before he could even say something else, a female voice piped into the confrontation.</p><p>“Back off the new kid, Dash. You wouldn’t want to get detention for fighting and not be able to play in your game this week, right?” the girl said. While she was shorter than Dash, the fierce look on her face seemed to scare him enough for him to take a step back.</p><p>“Aw, whatever Valerie. Don’t act like you can tell me what to do. You aren’t even cool anymore,” Dash tried to cover up how intimidated he was, but Dick was always good at reading people’s subtle movements.</p><p>This girl was clearly a force to be reckoned with.</p><p>Dash sauntered off, and Dick turned to thank his savior. “I appreciate you stepping in. I really can’t afford to get in trouble for decking that guy.”</p><p>She laughed, “Well, I’m glad I could help. I’m Valerie.”</p><p>“Dick Grayson. We should probably get to class. Maybe I’ll see you around?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>xxx</p><p>Lunch came quickly, but Dick was lost in the halls and could not find the cafeteria for the life of him. From the outside, the school looked like such a simple layout, but inside, it felt like a never ending maze. </p><p>Eventually, he found Jazz walking out of a classroom deep in conversation with a teacher, so he decided to wait for her to show him where to go.</p><p><em> Robin has traveled the world and outer space with little to no issues but Dick can’t even find the cafeteria, </em> he laughed to himself. After the Brotherhood of Evil fiasco, he thought that his navigation skills were pretty top notch. Apparently not. </p><p>Jazz seemed to notice Dick standing awkwardly to the side and wrapped up her conversation. </p><p>“You lost?” she asked.</p><p>Dick smiled sheepishly. “Unfortunately. Can you take me to the cafeteria?”</p><p>Jazz laughed and led the way. </p><p>“So is there anything fun to do in this town besides eat at the Nasty Burger?” Dick asked, trying to fill awkward silence with some conversation.</p><p>Jazz seemed to perk up at that question. “Actually, we have the Fall Festival coming up really soon! Next weekend I think. There’s going to be a lot going on down at the park. Music, food, vendors. It’s one of the biggest events of the year around here.”</p><p>“That actually sounds really fun. I’m here at just the right time, huh?”</p><p>“Guess so,” Jazz agreed. </p><p>As they entered the cafeteria, they quickly spotted Danny, Sam, and Tucker sitting together, and they looked to be deep in conversation. </p><p>“Hey guys!” Jazz greeted warmly.</p><p>They all responded with a mumbled, “Hey, Jazz.”</p><p>Jazz scowled at the rude greeting, but sat down anyway, gesturing at Dick to sit across from her. Tucker shifted in his seat to make some space, which Dick was thankful for. </p><p>“Aren’t you all a bunch of sourpusses today. I was just telling Dick about the Fall Festival that’s happening next weekend. You guys are going right?” Jazz asked. </p><p>Danny opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by all of the lights flickering in the cafeteria. </p><p>To his right, Dick heard Tucker mutter, “Not again.”</p><p>Before he could even process what that meant, he then heard Sam say, “Danny,” and turn towards said friend. </p><p>In an instant, Danny was up out of his seat, floundered for a moment, and then said, “Um, I’m heading to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”</p><p><em> Weird, </em> Dick thought, his eyes narrowing.</p><p>The lights continued to flicker viciously, and the rest of the student body in the cafeteria began to notice as well. The room grew eerily quiet as the students tried to process what was happening. </p><p>Jazz seemed genuinely confused at the situation, despite Sam and Tucker seeming to have some kind of inkling as to what was going on. </p><p>“Is there a storm or something coming today? Or is Casper High truly just falling apart?” she wondered aloud. </p><p>Before anyone could answer her, the power went out completely. Outside the windows, the students noticed a familiar figure crashing into the nearby trees. </p><p>“It’s Danny Phantom!” a voice called out. </p><p>Many students moved to the windows to watch the ongoing battle outside, except for Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. Dick opted to stay with them, confused as to why they were not reacting the same way as the other students who wanted to see the ghost fight. </p><p>“Okay, somethings up. Why are you all so unaffected by this?” Dick questioned.</p><p>Before he could get a clear answer, an unknown figure crashed into their table. Getting a closer look, he realized that the figure was Phantom himself. </p><p>“Ouch,” he heard the ghost mutter to himself. </p><p>Can ghosts feel pain? Is this guy really a ghost or just a metahuman? Lots of questions were running through Dick’s brain, but they all stopped when he saw the guy Phantom was fighting crash through the windows. </p><p>“Holy shit, Adonis?” Dick swore under his breath. How on earth a Jump City regular ended up in Amity Park was beyond him. It looked like he had some kind of upgraded suit from what Dick saw him in last.</p><p>However, Dick didn’t have much time to think about why Adonis was here before he shot out some kind of bolt of electricity at their table. They all dove out of the way, and Dick scrambled to grab his backpack so that he could get to his Robin suit. </p><p>“Well, that’s new,” he growled to himself, reaching in his bag to make sure what he was looking for was there. </p><p>“Nobody can beat me now! This is the strongest I’ve ever been!” Adonis bellowed. </p><p>“Yeah, well you seem to get tired pretty easy, pal!” Phantom yelled back before shooting off his own energy blasts. He then turned to the others and said, “I’m going to lead him back to the park again. He can’t recharge there."</p><p>Dick didn’t understand <em> why </em> Phantom felt the need to tell the group that bit of information, but he was fortunate to know where the fight was going so he could meet them there. Before the others could even notice, he slipped off in the chaos of students running out of the cafeteria.</p><p>The R cycle was waiting for him outside of the school after his transformation into Robin. He was able to slip out the bathroom window to avoid suspicion from the frantic students and teachers, and then he was on his way. </p><p>Though Robin knew that Phantom would be leading Adonis to the park, he still followed the wreckage of the fight, just in case that plan didn’t work out. </p><p>He arrived at the park just in time to see Phantom be blown out of the sky by Adonis. </p><p>“Ugh, this ghost really packs a punch,” he heard the ghost boy groan as he pulled up next to him.</p><p>“I hate to tell you this, but that’s no ghost,” Robin explained as he hopped off his bike. </p><p>Phantom looked over at him, and his eyes widened.</p><p>“Holy shit, you’re Robin!” he exclaimed.</p><p>Robin was honestly shocked the guy knew who he was. If he was a ghost, was there really a need to know about superheroes that weren’t even from Amity Park? He simply nodded before they both had to move out of the way of another bolt of electricity from Adonis. </p><p>“That’s Adonis! He’s definitely <em> not </em> a ghost, just a normal guy in a powerful suit,” Robin explained as they tried to regroup behind a tree. Looking out towards the road, he noticed a group of teenagers running toward the park. “It looks like your friends are on their way. Keep wearing him down, but don’t fight him like a ghost. Fight him like a person.”</p><p>Phantom looked surprised to find out that they were not fighting a ghost, but they quickly sprung into action. Robin was impressed at his ability to adapt to the situation in the moment without asking any questions. </p><p>He pulled out his bo staff and they both charged from either side of the tree. Phantom threw more of his energy blasts, which Robin noted looked very similar to Starfire’s star bolts. If they ever got a chance to <em> actually </em> talk, he will definitely want to do some kind of skills assessment. </p><p>Adonis seemed caught off guard by Robin’s arrival, which he was glad to use to his advantage. Their combined attacks managed to knock him out of the air. </p><p>“Titans in Amity Park? I thought you guys were just in Jump?” he questioned in surprise. </p><p>“Unfortunately for you, Adonis, I just happened to be here on business. And now I’m going to help Phantom take you down!” Robin yelled back, charging again with his bo staff. </p><p>Adonis dodged Robin’s attack, and knocked him back a couple feet. Robin rolled into the fall and immediately was back on his feet in time to notice Phantom’s backup show up. </p><p><em> Sam and Tucker?!? </em> Robin thought to himself, confused. He never got the vibe from the two of them that they worked <em> with </em> Phantom. Even Tucker didn’t outright say that to Robin when he was asking about the guy. </p><p>Phantom called down to the new additions to the fight, “He’s human! He has some kind of ghost tech powering his suit. Just wear him down like we’ve been doing!”</p><p>Letting his guard down was a poor decision. Before Robin could call out to warn him, Adonis sent another bolt of electricity at Phantom, hitting him directly in the chest. </p><p>Sam and Tucker both yelled out as he went down, and Robin tried to refocus on the fight so that nobody else got caught off guard. </p><p>“Hey, Adonis! Over here!” Robin called, getting Adonis to turn his back to the fallen Phantom and Sam who was rushing to his side. </p><p>Robin continued to dodge blows and bursts of electricity from Adonis while also managing to get a few hits in with his staff. However, he was distracted slightly when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a bright light coming from Phantom’s unconscious body on the ground. </p><p>He averted his eyes from the flash and continued to focus on the fight with Adonis, but when he quickly looked over to check on Phantom again, he was floored to see not Phantom lying there but Danny Fenton’s unconscious form. </p><p>His shock allowed Adonis to momentarily take the upper hand in the fight, knocking him onto his back.</p><p>Tucker immediately jumped in to help, shooting some kind of Fenton Works weapon at Adonis. Something in the weapon seemed to short out the ghost technology in Adonis’s suit, as he was no longer able to fly.</p><p>He tried several times to summon electricity, but was unable to do so, growling in anger.</p><p>“Nice try but I still have my strength!” Adonis yelled, charging again.</p><p>Robin was quickly back on his feet and blocked a blow meant for Tucker with his staff. </p><p>“Thanks, man,” Tucker said with wide eyes. Robin nodded back in response jumping back into the fight. </p><p>It was unreal how much he wished Cyborg was there at that moment. He was truly the best match for Adonis in a fight, especially with this additional ghost technology he apparently got ahold of. He’s normally Robin’s go-to guy for technology. </p><p>“Okay, so we just need to wear him down like Danny and Sam have been doing,” Tucker said aloud. Robin was confused if Tucker was aware that he had confirmed his friend’s secret identity before realizing that the full alias <em> was </em>Danny Phantom. Easy to blow off any slips of the tongue, but also ridiculously similar to his real name.</p><p>And Tucker had no reason to believe that Robin even knew who Danny Fenton was. </p><p>If he had more time, he would kick himself for not figuring it out sooner. No wonder Danny and his friends talked circles around Phantom. They were hiding a huge secret; something that Robin could relate to personally.</p><p>Adonis swung at Robin’s head, and he ducked then rolled out of the way. A lot of his strength did come from the suit, but they did not have time to wear him down. They needed to short out the suit entirely. </p><p>“Forget wearing him down, we need to short out whatever is in that suit!” Robin responded. </p><p>Adonis charged them again, Robin countering with his bo staff. Adonis grabbed the end and started to bend it.</p><p>“And soon!” he continued, sliding the staff down and aiming at Adonis’ legs to knock him off balance.</p><p>“I got it!” Tucker exclaimed, pulling out a small object from his backpack. “Try keeping your strength without electricity, sucker!”</p><p>Robin could only assume that Tucker had just employed an EMP, as Adonis’s suit seemed to finally short out completely.</p><p>“Hell yeah!” Tucker yelled, throwing his hands up in celebration. “The Tucker-Man is always prepared.”</p><p>Robin moved towards Adonis, but was distracted by his communicator going off. The Titans wouldn’t have called him unless there was an issue, so he decided to answer it. </p><p>“Watch Adonis,” he instructed Tucker before answering the video call from Cyborg.</p><p>“Dude, how on earth is that thing even working right now?” Tucker questioned. </p><p>“Hey, us superheroes gotta protect our tech,” Robin responded. “Plus, we’ve got the best tech guy in the game. What's up Cyborg?”</p><p>“Man, we got weird stuff happen’ here. This guy’s been attacking the city. We don’t even know what he wants, but it’s like he knows every move we are gonna make,” Cyborg informed him.</p><p>Robin considered that for a moment. “Okay, so clearly he did his homework and was expecting a fight with the Titans. What did Raven get from him?”</p><p>“That’s just it, man. She got <em> nothing. </em> No emotions. No thoughts. No feelings. And he had weird powers, and that’s saying considering the kinds of things we have seen.”</p><p>Robin paused for a moment. “Okay, be sure to keep me updated if this guy sticks around for long. I’ve got my own issues here. Adonis showed up and he has some kind of newly powered suit. I need to figure out what his deal is and who is backing him. You guys are on call in case we need you here, so reach out to Titans East and see how quickly they can get to Jump to help out.”</p><p>“You got it. I’ll call Bumblebee right away. You wanna talk to Star?”</p><p>Robin shook his head. “I gotta deal with this guy.” </p><p>“Okay. We will keep you updated.”</p><p>When Robin turned back around, Tucker looked very nervous. </p><p>“About that,” he started. “Adonis is kinda gone.”</p><p>“Gone” Robin repeated. “How?”</p><p>“Um, well I kinda went to check on Phantom and when I turned around he wasn’t there anymore.”</p><p>Robin sighed. “I have no energy left to be angry. Be on the lookout from a message from me. Go help your friend.”</p><p>Someone helped Adonis get away when they had their backs turned, but how did Robin not notice it?</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey friends! Long time no see! Life has gotten crazy but I promise my motivation for this story has not gone away :) We have a fun Danny chapter up next! I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny felt like he was hit by a bus. He was definitely in a bed, but he couldn’t open his eyes just yet to see where he was. </p><p>He also heard low murmuring voices, but he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. He could, however, identify Sam’s voice anywhere. And the concern she had was very apparent.</p><p>“There’s no way he didn’t see, Tucker. It’s <em> Robin </em> from the <em> Teen Titans, </em>who was trained by a crime fighting legend and founding member of the Justice League, and he is our age and leads a whole crime-fighting team of superheroes. Who knows what he might do with the information that Phantom is half human? We know for a fact the government would love to have it, and we have no idea how willing Robin is to give them that information. And even if just the Justice League knows, we also don’t know their stance on ghosts.” she whispered harshly, sounding panicked. </p><p>Danny groaned, “Sam, calm down you’re spiraling.”</p><p>Sam and Tucker immediately exclaimed, “Danny!” and rushed to his side. </p><p>“Dude, you took a rough hit. How are you feeling?” Tucker asked. </p><p>Danny assessed his injuries. It definitely <em> felt </em> like he just hit the ground at terminal velocity, but he didn’t feel anything broken. Definitely some bruised ribs though. </p><p>“If anything was fractured, it probably healed itself by now. Thank you, ghost powers,” he rolled his eyes. “But other than that I just feel really sore. I’m guessing I changed back when I hit the ground?”</p><p>His friends nodded. </p><p>“But Robin and I were super busy fighting that guy, so I don’t think he saw anything. Sam disagrees,” Tucker informed his friend. </p><p>Danny considered that for a moment. Maybe if Robin wasn’t super perceptive then he would believe that, but there was no way he didn’t see the bright flash of light that accompanies his transformation between forms. </p><p>He sighed. “I think I have to agree with Sam. The guy is no amateur, so he probably saw something. Whatever he thinks about that is a mystery, but my identity is probably safe. The fact that I’m a halfa, while not ideal in the hands of others, still mostly keeps me safe.”</p><p>“While normally I would love to gloat that I am right, you really just need to focus on getting rest, Danny. That’s the only way you will recover the fastest. We have no idea when that Adonis guy is going to come back, and you need to be back on your feet when he does,” Sam said, moving to sit next to Danny on his bed.</p><p>Danny attempted to sit up with her, but immediately felt pain radiate through his chest. He compromised with himself and propped himself up on his elbows instead, with a slight grimace of pain.</p><p>Sam gently pushed his chest so that he sunk back into his pillow. “Did you not hear what I just said? You need to rest. I will not take no for an answer.”</p><p>Before Danny could respond, they were interrupted by the sound of Tucker’s PDA going off, and he immediately checked the notification. </p><p>“What is it?” Sam asked, concerned.</p><p>“Well, it’s Robin. Saying that he wants to meet with Danny Phantom to talk business. He gave a time and a location. Tonight at the park,” Tucker explained. </p><p>“That’s perfect,” Danny said. “I can go and figure out what he saw and see what he plans to do with that information.”</p><p>“First, you need to rest. Take a nap, and Tucker and I will be downstairs when you wake up,” Sam explained, standing up. “And don’t worry, we got you in here while your parents were down in the lab. They think you just got sick at school."</p><p>Both Tucker and Sam moved to go out the door, but Sam paused, letting Tucker go ahead. </p><p>Before Danny could ask what she was doing, she had quickly turned back around and came back to kneel beside his bed.</p><p>“Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she said, deadly quiet and serious, looking right into Danny’s eyes.</p><p>“No promises,” Danny replied with a smirk, making her laugh. Then, more seriously,  “As much as I would love to make that promise to you, we both know I can’t.”</p><p>Sam sighed. “I know.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a moment before Sam leaned forward and kissed Danny on the forehead and said, “Get some rest. We’ll come get you when it’s time to go.”</p><p>After she left, Danny’s head was spinning. Did this mean she liked him more than just a friend? Or was she just concerned about him?</p><p><em> Man, I really need to talk to Tucker about this, </em> he thought before letting himself fall into a dreamless sleep. </p><p>xxx</p><p>Danny felt a million times better when he woke up later that night. His parents had already turned in for the night, but they nominated Tucker to be the sleeping body in Danny’s bed just in case of questioning from Dick. They would make the switch back later after he had fallen asleep. </p><p>“Keep me updated. You owe me for leaving me behind, man,” Tucker said as they walked out the door. </p><p>“Trust me, dude, I know. I’ll buy you Nasty Burger to make up for it,” Danny promised. “And we will let you know everything that goes down.”</p><p>Danny and Sam walked outside and around the corner of his house so that he could transform. Then, he picked Sam up in his arms and they were off to the park. </p><p>“Danny, I definitely could have taken a scooter. You don’t have to push yourself,” Sam complained as they took off. </p><p>“Sam, I feel fine now. Enhanced healing, remember? And this is faster anyway,” Danny countered, really just happy he had a reason to hold her close again. </p><p>As they approached the park, Danny saw the familiar red motorcycle parked by the gazebo. They landed nearby and Danny approached Robin first. </p><p>“I hear we have some business to talk about,” he started. </p><p>Robin turned to face them, “Yes, we do. And unfortunately it’s even more than I originally planned to talk to you about now that Adonis is in the picture.”</p><p>Danny was floored. “You were here in Amity Park… for me?”</p><p>Robin laughed, “Well, yeah. A whole city doesn’t just fall off the map and go unnoticed by the Justice League. I was sent to see whether you are a threat or an ally.”</p><p>Danny heard Sam growl behind him. “Hey, just because he’s a ghost doesn’t mean that he is a threat to our town. You saw how he protects us.”</p><p>“Calm down, feisty-pants,” Robin replied, smirking. “That’s why I was sent, but not why I came. I’m no errand-boy for the Justice League. My team has a vast network of allies across the world, and anytime someone like us makes an appearance, I like to make a personal visit. I came to ask if you wanted to be an honorary Titan.”</p><p>Danny was in shock. He turned to Sam and her mouth was hanging slightly open, likely feeling the same way. She made eye contact with him and the slight glimmer in her eyes melted his heart, but he shook his head to bring himself back into focus.</p><p>“Well,” he started, “I kind of already have a team here--”</p><p>“I would never ask you to leave your team. Being an honorary Titan just gives you a network to call on when you need help, and we would also hope that you would help us when we call on you as well. We have only had to call on the entire network once since creating it, but having alliances around the world comes in very handy. In a way, you’ll never truly be alone in a fight,” Robin explained, holding out a round communication device with the letter T on it. </p><p>“You don’t have to say yes right now, but take this anyway. Let us know what you think, and if you ever need anything, I will personally bring my team down here to help.”</p><p>Danny took the device from him, and immediately turned to hand it off to Sam for safekeeping. The look in her eyes had changed from shock to suspicion. And that terrifying gaze was locked on Robin. </p><p>And he definitely noticed. </p><p>Danny decided to be the first to bring up the fight earlier. “So I don’t know what you saw earlier when we were fighting Adonis--”</p><p>“Don’t even worry about it,” Robin said, cutting Danny off. “I know a thing or two about secret identities. I would never divulge that information to anyone, nor would I hold it over your head to join my team. I envy those on my team who can just live as they are with no secrets, but I understand the importance of yours. I expect no explanation on your part. Your secret is safe with me.”</p><p>Danny looked back at Sam, and her gaze had softened a bit. </p><p>“We still don’t know how much we can trust you,” Sam started. “But our team will talk about joining the network, and it will be all three of us. Not just Danny.”</p><p>Robin smiled. “Of course. I expect nothing less. And that’s how I can address you personally then, Danny? Not just Phantom?”</p><p>Danny smiled, “Yeah, my friends and allies call me Danny. Now that we are on the same page, we need to talk about Adonis.”</p><p>Robin’s smile dropped from his face. “Yeah, Adonis. He is one of our regulars back in Jump City. His battle suit enhances his strength to superhuman levels and protects him from most hits, but it normally isn’t powered off of electricity in the way that he is trying to get it now. Which leads me to believe that he has some kind of supplier for this suit.”</p><p>Danny paused for a moment to think. Someone clearly gave the guy ghost tech for his suit, and it needs to be powered by pulling surrounding electricity.</p><p>“Well, on the surface level it sounds like it could be Technus, a ghost who is one of our regulars,” Danny started to explain.</p><p>“But that wouldn’t entirely make sense because Technus has no motive helping someone else. He tends to be pretty selfish except for when he merges with other ghosts. Never a human, and he would never just give a human technology that he made ghostly,” Sam continued.</p><p>Danny nodded in agreement, “Exactly. If we want to consider his suit, it could be Skulker helping him out. He also operates with a ghostly battle suit, but the technology part wouldn’t exactly mesh well with Skulker, which is why he and Technus merged to be Skulktech.”</p><p>He and Sam both shuddered. “So weird,” they said in unison. </p><p>“Even so,” Sam interrupted, “That’s a future thing, so they might not even have that motivation to merge yet.”</p><p>“Very true,” Danny agreed. </p><p>Robin’s face was hard to read. He was likely taking in all of the information that Danny and Sam had just unloaded, but the mask made Danny’s perception of him difficult. </p><p><em> Which is probably the point of the mask, </em> he thought to himself dumbly. </p><p>“So let me get this straight,” Robin started. “There are two potential ghosts that could have the motivation to help Adonis, but their motivations are purely selfish and their own merger with each other hasn’t even happened yet.”</p><p>“Sounds about right,” Danny replied with a nod. </p><p>“So what ghost would want to supply a human with tech with the intent to terrorize Amity Park? Because there’s no way Adonis would find his way here on his own. He had to be led here,” Robin pondered.</p><p>Danny’s heart skipped a beat. “Shit.”</p><p>Looking over at Sam, he saw that her face had paled. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked. </p><p>Robin’s interest peaked some more. “So there is someone?”</p><p>Danny sighed. “Unfortunately. Vlad Plasmius. He’s a halfa like me, and he was hellbent on being my mentor or me seeing him in some sort of fatherly way. Which I don’t want, so he decided he would just make my life a living hell instead.”</p><p>Robin nodded. “I know the type, unfortunately. We do have a big problem then if there is a brain behind all of this: the Fall Festival.”</p><p>“Big group of people and a chance to make Danny Phantom seem like the bad guy? Sounds like Vlad to me,” Danny groaned. “So what do we do? We need more manpower to take this guy down without absolutely wrecking the festival.”</p><p>Robin grinned. “That’s the beauty of the Titans network. I can bring in manpower, or I guess we could call it superhuman power. My team has been waiting for my signal to come help, and they can be here as soon as this weekend or early next week to start planning. If this truly is Vlad Plasmius’ endgame, then I bet we don’t see Adonis until the festival.”</p><p>Danny and Sam locked eyes. He could tell right away that they were on the same page. </p><p>It would definitely be a huge benefit to be included in the Titans network, and being considered a hero by a worldwide organization could probably get the GIW off of his back.</p><p>But they couldn’t make this decision without Tucker. </p><p>“We know how to get in touch with you now,” Danny said as he turned back to face Robin. “We need to talk with our third and get back to you about calling in the Titans and being a part of the network.”</p><p>Robin nodded. “Understood. I’ll be around.” </p><p>Without another word, he was quickly on his bike and taking off into the night.</p><p>Danny sat down and put his head into his hands. “This is so fucked up.”</p><p>Sam moved to sit next to him and grabbed one of his hands. He couldn’t help how his chest tightened at the feeling. </p><p>“Not entirely,” she started. “You were invited to be a part of the <em> Titans Network. </em> That’s a big deal, Danny.”</p><p>He snorted. “I’m also low key being investigated by the Justice League at the same time.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a moment. </p><p>“I know we need their help now. They have a history with Adonis, and I don’t want to risk the lives of all those people who are going to be at the festival,” he finally said. “But is it a good idea to join them? I may seem like a superhero to them, but I’m no metahuman. I’m half ghost. Half <em> dead. </em>”</p><p>Sam’s free hand reached up and turned Danny’s face to look at her before dropping to grab his other hand. “That doesn’t make you less of a hero, Danny. And who knows. Maybe your ghost powers are more like being a metahuman than being half ghost. It’s not like we have ever been able to get a good look at your DNA. Your story matches up with people like the Flash, it just has more ectoplasm involved.”</p><p>Danny smiled softly. “I don’t know how to explain this Sam, but I can <em> feel </em>it. It’s not just ghost powers. I know that part of me died that day.”</p><p>Sam started to speak again, but he cut her off. </p><p>“And I know you are going to say that you’re sorry, but don’t. Yes, a part of me died that day, but it also brought Danny Phantom to life. I can’t thank you enough for that,” he finished, squeezing her hands. </p><p>The moment felt like it could go on forever, and Danny felt every part of his soul pulling himself closer to Sam.</p><p>But the moment was ruined by her phone going off, causing the two of them to jump apart in alarm. </p><p>Sam glared at the caller ID before answering, “What, Mom?” She paused then sighed. “Yes, I’ll be home soon.”</p><p>Danny was up with his hand extended before she even hung up the phone.</p><p>“Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I would love to know if you have any predictions for what's coming up next. Let me know in the comments! Or just let me know what you think of the story so far :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello friends and Happy New Year! I hope you are all staying safe and had an enjoyable holiday season! New chapter to wrap up 2020! enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Robin took a deep breath after Sam and Tucker were able to drag Danny Fenton’s limp body away from the scene of the fight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He really could kick himself for not figuring it out sooner. And had Danny not fallen in battle, how long would it have taken him? Some detective he was, staying in the same house as the very person he was sent to investigate and didn’t put it together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny’s injuries were likely not severe. He was knocked out on impact from the fall, something that would have been much worse for a non-ghost like person. What even </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> Danny? Some kind of metahuman? Something else? A ghost disguised as a human or vice versa? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Robin had about a million questions but his thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing in his bag back on the R-cycle. He quickly jogged over and saw that it was Bruce calling him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello,” he answered shortly, not ready to debrief about anything just yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was your first day of school?” Bruce asked, the smug enjoyment coming through in his tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About as good as you would expect,” Robin answered plainly while looking around the park for a discreet location to stash his bike and change back into civvies. “New school, easy to get lost in, nobody to talk to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Jazz and Danny?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I have like one class with Jazz and Danny is younger, so didn’t really get much social interaction other than lunch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And was that eventful?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Robin has started walking toward a cluster of trees but stopped and narrowed his eyes. Was Bruce monitoring the news in Amity? Did he know that Robin was out helping Phantom?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Depends on what you would say is eventful. Apparently ghost attacks are pretty normal around here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean you made contact with Phantom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not yet. Will update when I have more information.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Robin hung up the phone and moved into the wooded area to change back. Bruce probably knew that he lied; he was likely monitoring the whole situation from the Batcave. However, Robin had very little information at the moment to give, other than the biggest secret Danny had. And that was not information Batman or the Justice League needed to be privy to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was bad enough the Justice League knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>secret identity, when his own team didn’t even know. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Additionally, Batman did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>need to know about Adonis somehow being supplied ghost powered weaponry. His team’s bad guy makes it his team’s case. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick finished changing and made sure to put the R-Cycle into camouflage mode. For extra measure, he stashed it into a bush and kicked some leaves around it. Against Bruce’s wishes, he had Cyborg send out his R-Cycle, but now he was starting to get very annoyed that he had absolutely nowhere to put it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What he really needed was some kind of empty building owned by Wayne Enterprises to stash his stuff in. There had to be at least one somewhere in town. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He decided he would check it out later after meeting with Danny and his friends and started his walk back to Fenton Works. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he walked in the door, he was immediately bombarded by Jack and Maddie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We heard there was a ghost attack at the school!” Jack bellowed, causing Dick to flinch away from the large man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay, sweetie?” Maddie asked, immediately moving to check him out for any injuries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick smiled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She reminds me of Mom. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick thought about his parents often, especially in the years since meeting his team. He knows that his parents would absolutely adore Starfire and get a kick out of BB and Cyborg’s antics. They would be fascinated by Raven, for sure, but once they got to know her they would love her just as much as the others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine. Managed to get away from the smashed table I was at with no scratches or burns,” he responded, pulling away from her hands that were inspecting his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all moved to sit at the kitchen table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You probably didn’t realize just how many ghosts you were going to see when you came to Amity Park, did’ja?” Jack laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick laughed with him. “Honestly it’s not that much different than living in Gotham. Still lots of weird stuff going on, just in a different font here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha, I suppose that’s true. You’re a funny one, Dick. I wish we could have met you sooner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perfect opportunity to figure out more about this side of the family, Dick thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maddie, when is the last time you saw Bruce? I mean besides yesterday of course.” Dick asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maddie laughed. “Well, it depends. I haven’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen </span>
  </em>
  <span>him in years. Probably since we were teenagers. But he’s always made sure to check in with us. Sent us a wedding present, gave us money for each of the kids’ college funds when they were born, and has checked in every now and then with a phone call.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick was surprised; that was surprisingly a lot for a family he didn’t even realize existed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maddie kept talking excitedly. “Oh, he was so excited when he told me about you for the first time. I was surprised that a single bachelor like Bruce was adopting a child, but it was so clear how much he loved you from the moment he took you in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> was also surprising. He knew Bruce cared for him, but their relationship was very strained as of late. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time for a subject change. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he do anything to help you guys out when Danny had his accident?” he asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both Maddie and Jack’s eyes went dark and looked down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize Danny told you about that,” Maddie said quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick felt bad. He definitely struck a nerve. “Jazz kinda let it slip at breakfast this morning. What exactly happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack sighed before starting, “Well, it was when we were trying to get the Ghost Portal in the basement up and running. We couldn’t get it to start up right away, so we called it quits. But Danny was showing his friends the lab when he shouldn't have been and he was electrocuted because he was too close to the portal when it started up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam was convinced he was dead,” Maddie added. “She was beside herself, but I could tell he was still breathing and a quick trip to the ER showed that he was going to be fine after a week or so of rest. He was lucky. He really could have died from the voltage that portal puts off.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick was taken aback. This was not at all what he was expecting. Definitely sounded like the beginning of a metahumans powers. A near-death experience could have ignited something within him, coupled with whatever weird ghostly stuff that came with the portal could have resulted in ghost powers for sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And either they were really good liars or they did not know that their son received those ghost powers from this accident. Dick was leaning toward the latter choice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you tell me more about the lab and what you guys do? I know ghost hunting is basically the gist, but I am really interested in what you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That brightened their moods a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we met in college because we were both studying engineering, but with our own focus on ghosts and ghost hunting. A lot of people thought we were crazy at the time, but we knew that there was more out there than just glowing orbs in people’s pictures,” Maddie began to explain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s when we developed the Porto-Ghost Portal. It was a miniature version of the one we have down in the lab!” Jack piped in. “With Vlady’s help of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick noticed Maddie grimace at the mention of “Vlady” but she kept moving forward with the story. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After we graduated, we got married and started our company, which specializes in ghost weaponry. We knew at this point that ghosts were real and posed a serious threat to the livelihood of others. That’s what our laboratory is for mainly, developing weapons to defend against ghost attacks,” she explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are some good ghosts, though, right?” Dick inquired, trying to figure out if they really knew about Danny’s powers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack scoffed. “None that we have met. All they want to do is destroy our town!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even Danny Phantom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now it was Maddie’s turn to scoff, “Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially </span>
  </em>
  <span>Danny Phantom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After sitting and chatting with the Fentons a bit longer, Dick excused himself to the living room in order to send Tucker a message from Robin about meeting up later that night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Tucker himself walked down the stairs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, um, hi Dick. Maybe don’t go upstairs right now. Danny got super sick and it’s not pretty,” he stammered out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick nodded, “Noted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Sam walked down the stairs, her face a deep shade of scarlet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened, Sam. You confess your undying love up there?” Tucker teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes darkened. “Shut up. You know that would ruin everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker groaned, “Oh come on! You two are practically already in a committed relationship with each other. Just admit your feelings and kiss already. It will make life easier for the rest of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not to butt in,” Dick said, butting in, “but I speak from experience in saying that keeping someone at arm’s length because you don’t want to ruin what you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> ruin what you have. Ignoring feelings lead to hurt feelings in the long run.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See!” Tucker exclaimed. “Even Dick is on my side, and he’s literally been here for a day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam huffed, “We have a lot going on right now. It’s not up for discussion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam, stop making yourself miserable over your feelings for him,” Tucker responded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick stood up, “I sense this conversation would be better without me, so I’m going to go call </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>girlfriend. I know I don’t know you guys all that well, but you know what’s best for you. And for Danny.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick was far away from Fenton Works when he finally pulled out his communicator and called Starfire. He made sure to find himself perched on an abandoned building so that nobody could eavesdrop or see that he was talking into a Titans communicator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He also threw on his mask for good measure. Well, that and so he could video call Starfire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her bright face filled the screen immediately. “Robin!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled, “Hey, Star. Wanna fill me in on that fight you guys had earlier?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her normally bright demeanor switched to a more serious one. “It was quite strange. We were first alerted to a strange presence down at the docks early this morning, and we likely would not have gone if not for the mention of strange powers. Raven wanted to check it out and just see if she could see if they had any ill intentions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So he wasn’t doing anything?” Robin questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at first,” Starfire responded. “Raven and I went on our own to do the scouting at the docks and we don’t think he realized we were there. We left once Raven realized that she couldn’t read his emotions like she can with anybody else. The sensation also left her feeling really sick, so I decided it would be best to regroup with the others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick nodded. “Good call. It’s one thing that she couldn’t get a reading on him, but to feel sick by his presence is very strange. When did he start attacking the city?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About an hour after we returned to the tower. There were attacks all over the city, all with the same description of this man. But the attacks didn’t seem to have any </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> to them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick’s eyes narrowed. “No meaning? Do you think he was trying to draw you out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Starfire nodded. “We do. Especially when we did show up and he seemed… ready for us somehow. He was able to duplicate his form and we were essentially fighting one on one and became separated throughout the city.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So it was like he knew he would be fighting a team, and he wanted to separate you to gain the upper hand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, exactly. But then, he just vanished completely. And we did not have the upper hand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Robin pondered that for a moment. “That definitely doesn’t sound good. Be on the lookout and update the Titans East when they arrive. Hopefully, he won’t expect them to be there and you can gain the upper hand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what about when we depart for Amity Park?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if he is truly just interested in our team he will either lay low until you come back or try to follow you. If he isn’t, then I trust that Titans East can handle themselves. Until I need you guys to come, you can handle this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Starfire nodded in response. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick smiled. “No more business talk. I miss you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That brought a smile back to her face. “I miss you too, Robin. This week has been lonely without you here. For everybody, not just me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick felt bad. While he had only been in Amity Park for two days, he had been at Wayne Manor longer strategizing with Batman and the League. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, maybe you will be here soon, and you can meet my…” he paused, almost saying family, “new friends here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He cringed inwardly. Of course he couldn’t say </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span> because the Fentons were Dick Grayson’s family, not Robin’s. Just another reason to make the switch to Nightwing and </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> be out of Bruce’s grasp enough to reveal his identity to his team. Not that making the switch would mean anything, but being under the Robin mantle gave Bruce just that much more control over him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the Danny Phantom!” Starfire exclaimed. And then giggled when she saw the confusion on Dick’s face. “You think we wouldn’t look up the superpowered teenager once you told us we were on call to come help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick laughed, “I guess that’s valid. It’s just I forget that there are very capable leaders of the team sometimes. Especially you, Star.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blushed and then responded with a smirk, “Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> of royal blood. Are you surprised?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After finishing his discussion with Starfire, Dick made his transformation to Robin before heading to the rendezvous point with Danny and his friends in the park. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was very clear to him now that Danny Phantom is very much a hero to this town, no matter what many people believed. He would be sure to formally invite him to the Titans Network before reporting back to the Justice League. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He retrieved his bike from the bushes and drove up to the nearby gazebo to wait.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was surprised that it was only Danny and Sam had come to talk with him, but he was even more taken aback by Sam’s initial hostility towards him. It was clear that Danny’s friends were very protective of him. Even more of a reason to invite the team to the Titans Network.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick wouldn’t lie and say he ever considered inviting Sam and Tucker too, but after the fight that he witnessed earlier, it was clear that they were capable of backing up their friend. With more intense training, they would be more than capable heroes on their own as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both seemed to open up when he reassured them that Danny’s secret was safe with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After jumping on the R-Cycle, he immediately called Titans Tower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up, Robin?” he heard Cyborg answer the call. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As soon as Titans East gets to Jump City, you guys need to get to Amity Park. We need the whole team to assist with this Adonis situation.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you think in the comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey friends! Long time no see! Sorry it's been a hot minute. The semester started and got crazy and now we are here. I'm trying to do my coursework and apply for big girl jobs at the same time, so it's been pretty hectic. <br/>Also, I'm starting to put the day of the week at the beginning of the chapter because my lovely sister pointed out that it gets a bit confusing between the POVs.<br/>I hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Friday)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick was becoming more and more of a mystery to Danny. When he returned the night before to get Tucker back home, Dick was nowhere to be found, and he hadn’t been there all night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was now the next morning, and he went to school early to meet up with Sam and Tucker. Which for Danny was just slightly earlier than on time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he ever come back last night?” Tucker questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eventually,” Danny huffed. “But it was after I had fallen asleep so I didn’t even notice until this morning that he was back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And no explanation?” Sam asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t really talk to him or ask him about it. We know he has some kind of past, even if he denies it,” Danny explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, enough of this. Tell me about what happened with Robin last night!” Tucker said, changing the subject. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Robin came here to Amity for </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Danny started to explain. “Apparently the Justice League sent him because they caught wind of the whole Pariah Dark situation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And they wanted to see if he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>threat,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Sam interrupted with a scowl on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Justice League</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to see if I was a threat,” Danny continued, “But Robin came with something else in mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What would that be?” Tucker questioned, confused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he invited me to be a part of what he calls the Titans Network, which is like a big network of young heroes from around the world,” Danny explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you would be a Titan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so. More like a network of people who can help us if we need it, and we would help them too. And it wouldn’t just be me. You and Sam would be a part of it too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker looked astounded. “And are we going to join?” he asked excitedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His question, however, was immediately followed by the late bell ringing for homeroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll talk later,” Danny responded as they all quickly ran to their homerooms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny could not focus on any of his classes that morning. He, Sam, and Tucker were now in their math class right before lunch and he was incapable of thinking of anything other than that conversation with Robin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Titans Network was a huge deal. He didn’t even realize it was something that existed, and it would be such a huge honor to be a part of an organization dedicated to saving the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But part of him felt like a fraud being invited to this organization. Yes, he saved Amity Park many times from ghosts, but it’s not like that compares very much to superheroes saving the world from evil villains. The ghosts were only a problem because of his own parents’ ghost portal. Which was only operational because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>accident. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even Vlad wouldn’t be as much of a nuisance if he had never become a halfa in the first place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Are you really considered a hero if you are just cleaning up the mess that you created?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Fenton, do you mind paying attention to the lesson at all today?” his math teacher snapped, pulling him out of his own thoughts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sorry ma’am,” Danny responded, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really, you should start considering making responsible choices,” she huffed, turning back to the board and continuing the lesson. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doing my best,” he muttered to himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Tucker both turned and looked at him apologetically, and he was able to muster up a small smile to reassure his friends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny still was not able to focus on the rest of class, but instead did his dissociating while staring at the board. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon enough, the bell rang to go to lunch, and the trio began their walk to the cafeteria. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You good, man?” Tucker asked after they grabbed their food and sat down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny sighed. “Yeah just thinking a lot about what Robin said.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I think it’s a great idea. Being a part of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titans</span>
  </em>
  <span> sounds awesome dude!” Tucker exclaimed. “Imagine all the people we could meet. Maybe someday we could even meet the Justice League!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam snorted. “Yeah as if that’s what we want to happen. They haven’t made their minds up about Danny yet, and they could decide that no ghosts are good, just like the Guys in White.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam, they are probably just being proactive. Anybody with as much power as Danny could be a threat. It’s probably standard protocol. And even so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Robin</span>
  </em>
  <span> already knows that Danny’s a hero. Which is who runs the network anyway, so we wouldn’t even be dealing with the League,” Tucker responded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam huffed. “I still don’t know if it’s a good idea. We only talked to this guy one time, and what if that communicator he gave us is bugged or something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker’s jaw dropped. “He </span>
  <em>
    <span>gave</span>
  </em>
  <span> you a communicator! Show me, right now!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, yes, right here in the middle of the high school cafeteria. What a great place to pull out what is very clearly a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan’s communicator. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That wouldn’t be incredibly suspicious.” Sam rolled her eyes. “You can look at it after school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny listened to them bicker a little bit more before voicing his opinion. “I think Sam is right to be suspicious. I don’t think the communicator is bugged, but it is difficult to trust someone we literally just met. Plus we need to see how this whole Adonis situation pans out. Especially if Vlad’s involved.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker looked confused. “Okay I am really done with being left out of this stuff. What’s Vlad got to do with this?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently, Adonis doesn’t normally have a ghostly powered suit, and we think that he was somehow supplied with the technology to create it. And the only person we can think of who has any motive to give out ghostly armor would be Vlad,” Danny explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And he’s known for ‘helping’ people so that they can do his dirty work,” Sam contributed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense unfortunately. But why find some random guy all the way in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jump City?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vlad has a reason for everything. We just need to figure it out,” Danny concluded. Then, he looked around, confused, “Wait, we’ve been talking for a while. Where’s Jazz and Dick at?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Tucker also looked around the cafeteria, and they spotted the pair sitting with some of the older popular kids from Jazz’s grade. The ones that even the A-Listers looked up to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I definitely saw Dick being swooped up by the populars coming, but Jazz too?” Danny groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, your sister is actually pretty well liked around here,” Sam reminded him. “Just because you think she’s annoying doesn’t mean the whole school does.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. Still weird though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon enough, Danny found himself in his last class of the day with Mr. Lancer, but his thoughts had not stopped racing all day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was still very conflicted about joining the Titans Network. Sam was always the skeptic, but she made good points about not trusting Robin just yet. But then again, being a part of a vast network of heroes could help him become </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>than just the ghost boy in Amity Park. He could be a real hero like the Titans. At least in the eyes of other superheroes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More importantly, he had to think about the Adonis and potentially Vlad problem. Does this situation warrant a visit to the cheese head or should they wait until there is more evidence to confront him about his plans? Something bigger has to be at play. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And now the rest of the Titans are coming to town to help deal with the situation, and that’s about five more super-powered teenagers than he is used to dealing with. Unless you count Valerie with her ghost-hunting equipment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the way at the back of his mind, but still there nevertheless, was his mysterious cousin. Coming back super late, acting suspicious, yet denying his bad boy status. And now he’s making friends, which is fine, but why is Jazz getting roped into it? Is she just as suspicious of him as Danny is? Or is he being unnecessarily cautious?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was finally the end of the day, and he stood up with the rest of the class when the bell rang, but was stopped short when Mr. Lancer called him over to his desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Tucker stopped like they were going to wait, but Danny waved them on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see you guys later at my house,” he said then turned to Mr. Lancer. “Yes, sir?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Lancer, with a stern yet concerned look on his face, responded, “Nice of you to join us for class today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry about yesterday, Mr. Lancer,” Danny stammered. “I just wasn’t feeling well at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the day before?” his teacher asked, with a raised eyebrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny felt his heart drop into his stomach. He really didn’t have any excuse for why he was missing class. Not without giving away his secret. “I’m sorry. I’m just getting sick a lot recently.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Bad lie, Danny,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he scolded himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hard to pull that off without a doctor’s note.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Fenton, I can tell you have a lot on your mind recently. And I also know that mental health takes a large toll on our physical health. Is everything okay with you at home? Has something happened that is putting you under a large amount of stress?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A concerned Lancer was much harder to brush off than an angry Lancer. Why couldn’t he just give Danny a detention for skipping class and move on?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, everything’s fine at home. Mom, Dad, and Jazz are all the same as usual. Eccentric but normal for us,” Danny responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Lancer narrowed his eyes at that comment, “Well, if you ever have anything on your mind that you want to talk about, my door is open and my thoughts are kept to myself. Anything you tell me is confidential, unless you or another student is in danger.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Too bad I’m literally always in danger, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Danny thought with a scoff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really, I’m fine, sir,” Danny said. “Thank you for your concern, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No buts,” Lancer interrupted. “Door is always open. You have a lot of potential, Mr. Fenton. I would hate to see the light in you burn out while you are so young.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny was so shocked by the whole conversation all he could do was nod in response and walk out the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First of all, he did not realize how much he wore what he was thinking on his face. Secondly, he didn’t realize just how much Mr. Lancer actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>cared</span>
  </em>
  <span> about his well-being. He didn’t even get detention for missing two days of class in a row. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny shook his head in disbelief before slipping into a janitor’s closet and transforming himself to fly home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he got back, he checked to see if his room was clear and then changed back while simultaneously face planting on his bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, he heard the door open and Dick walk in. “Oh, didn’t hear you come in,” he commented as he moved towards the cot on his side of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sneaky,” Danny mumbled into his pillow. “And tired.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick laughed, “All right, I’ll leave you to it. But before I go, your sister and I were invited to a party tonight if you want to come?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny picked up his head in confusion. “Jazz? A party?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick laughed again. “Yeah, a guy who helped me out at school today invited us. Though I have a theory he might be more interested if Jazz came than me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Interesting,” Danny responded slowly. “Well, you guys have fun. Sam and Tucker are coming over to hang out tonight, so I’m gonna pass.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dick shrugged, “Fine by me. Enjoy your nap.” He paused for a second then exited the room again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny let his head hit the pillow again and immediately fell asleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>xxx</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was woken up abruptly by a pillow being thrown at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell?” he groaned. “That’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in weeks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Danny,” he heard Tucker respond. “But we got a problem.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny sat up quickly. “What’s wrong?” He noticed that Sam was there too once his brain started comprehending being awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, since Adonis has been pulling his power from like power lines and street lights, I’ve been keeping an eye on the power grid for any anomalies, and there was this weird surging on the other side of town by the Nasty Burger,” Tucker explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was?” Danny questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker kept explaining. “Well, I called you and you didn’t pick up, so I called Sam to let her know before coming here. And then it just stopped.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny thought for a moment. “Should we go check it out? Just in case?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His friends both nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” Danny stood up and stretched. “Going ghost!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were quickly over by the Nasty Burger but there was no evidence that </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> weird had happened there. Not even the tell-tale scorch marks that would likely follow Adonis shooting out any electricity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We definitely missed him,” Sam stated after they had circled the block a few times. “If he was even here. We don’t know if that weird surge even means Adonis was here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, let’s just keep an eye on the grid, and then if it happens again, we can get there sooner,” Danny responded. “Now let’s go play some video games.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me!” Tucker exclaimed and they all turned to head back to Fenton Works. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Be sure to let me know what you think! We are starting to gear up for some action soon so get ready!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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